HALO: The Andromeda Chronicles
by UH-60 NIGHTSTALKER
Summary: A collection of stories, behind the stories which forever changed a Galaxy which was not so far away. Ratings may change for future chapters.
1. Intro

_**~ Introduction~ **_

_It is no questions that the events within the Andromeda galaxy during the last one hundred years would continue to affect the galaxy and its people centuries to come. Within this time frame, the galaxy which was not so far away bore witness to events which would forever be engraved into the tapestry that told the history of Andromeda, it's peoiple and the civilizations which called it home. _

_In less than one hundreds years, the galaxy saw the demise of the order which had been decaying for centuries and in its place, a new order which arose from its ashes. It was a time when new ideas began to flow through the populations, as the establishment which had lasted for countless centuries soon found itself trying to hold one what power it had left. While others attempted to find new meaning in a community they had felt they had failed._

_New factions and alliances were formed in the wake of new enemies which were created in this wave of change and turmoil, while unlikely champions stood up to the new establishments who seeked to oppress those who could not fend for themselves alone. _

_Where loves were lost and found, and stories were created which would not soon be forgotten by those who lived them. No matter how hard many of them would try._

_This is not a continuation of the Andromeda saga, but the telling stories behind the stories which forever changed the face of the galaxy. As well as the lives of those who called it home and lived through the changes Andromeda experienced. _

_Stories which make up the tapestry of the galaxy... _

_**HALO: The Andromeda Chronicles **_


	2. Second Contact

_**A/N: **I'm baaaaaaack... miss me? Sorry for the long delay but if you have visiting my profile then you would know that it could not be helped. Anyway here is my first real chapter of my next project and I hope you like it. _

_Now I must want you that Chronicles will not follow any real time line, one chapter could be set in the past while the next could be set either during or after Andromeda War. This will be my more ambitious story to date and I hope it will fill in the blanks of my previous two HALO stories. As well as give us a look into what is in store for those who now live in this universe I created. _

_As always standard disclaimer applies and I don't own anything except the Ocs I create. Now one to our first chapter, which fittingly begins where it all began... _

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**{ Chapter One: Second Contact... }**_

_**Date: **October 18th, 2582. _

_**Location: **The Worth Colonies, Andromeda Galaxy. _

It was anyone's guess just when they would be home, as the last few months had really placed a serious strain on the crew of the _U.N.S.C. Agamemnon. _For the last several months the Destroyer, as well as every other ship in the star system, had been stationed around humanity's latest colonial endeavor for almost a year or longer and truth be told, no one could not even establish just why the civilian government would agree to establish new settlements at a time when they were still trying to rebuild the ones which were lost during the war.

Even more perplexing was why they would choose to create a new colony in an entirely different galaxy? There were rumors floating around the military command that these colonies would act as life boat of sorts, as many believed there were still many Halo rings still present in the Milky Way and there was a fear that the Covenant remnant would try to activate them at some point.

What ever the logic behind the governments decision for settling them, the Worth Colonies were there to stay and like every human colony, it needed protection. It was just months before that remnants of the old Covenant attacked the colony of Harvest in an attempt to disrupt the reconstruction efforts which were taking place, as well as loot the supply depot with was located on the planet's surface for any weapons they could find.

Unfortunately for the remnant, they had not expected the human colony to have a joint UNSC/Sangheili fleet to be in orbit at the time of the attack and were quickly sent into a retreat. But not before they were able to retrieve information about the existence of the Worth system from a freighter they had boarded which was supposed to make a supply run to the new colonies. With fears that the Covenant Loyalist may attempt an attack on humanity's latest outpost, the UNSC did not waste any time in assembling a task force to beef up the fleet which was already in the system.

So far the Super Carrier _Lexington, _the cruisers _Ernest E. Evens, Lancaster _and _Say My Name_, along with the frigates _Los Angeles, Crazy Horse, Problem Child, No Way Out _and _Ill Will, _had been stationed in the Worth Colonies since the settlements were founded almost nine years before. But they and the ten thousand or so marines which were stationed here, were originally sent here to prevent any attempts by the floundering Insurrectionist movement from setting up a cell in the new colonies. Even though the Colonial act had seen most of the major insurrectionist factions satisfied with the new governing arrangements, there were still a few who were still unwilling to trust the new civilian government and were more interested in governing each colony for themselves.

A new colony which was as far away as you could get from the central government would be the perfect place to breed a new movement and consolidate power for themselves. Obviously the Terran Union Government and by extension the UNSC, were not about to let that happen, but for now the UNSC's main concern was the protection of the colonies and the almost three hundred thousand settlers who called it home. Many of which had decided to settle outside of the galaxy in an attempt to rebuild their lives and start a new.

On board the bridge of the destroy Agamemnon, only a skeleton crew were on duty at the moment, as it was the "night shift" and most of the crew were asleep. Earlier in the week the Agamemnon had conducted several drills which had left the crew drained both physically and mentally, many of which had pulled sixteen to eighteen hour shifts during these periods in which said drills were conducted. As you could guess the isolation the destroyer's crew felt from being stationed so far away from their families for almost a year, had most certainly taken its toll on them, as well as the crews of every other vessel in the star system.

But they would only have to endure this deployment for just three more months, as another fleet was scheduled to over from the Agamemnon and the rest of the fleet. Quite possibly the longest three months many of the UNSC personnel would experience.

Suddenly the holographic image of a aged yet healthy looking man who was dressed in ancient Greek armor, appeared on the bridge's center console and said with a deep voice, "Commander, I am receiving a signal from one of our sentry probes."

"Care to explain, Mems?" the only senior officer on the bridge at the time, a one Lauren Perry asked curiously, as the vessel's artificial intelligence caught her off guard.

"Commander, Sentry probe 14 is detecting a gravitational anomaly near Worth 7." Mems replied, referring to the star system's only gas giant which oddly enough was located near the edge of the star system.

"Can you triangulate with the other probes in the area to confirm the presence of this... anomaly." the UNSC officer asked, as she wanted to make sure that this thing, what ever it was, was not the result of a system error. The last thing she needed was to recall the captain from his meeting with the fleet's commander for something which was nothing more than a false alarm.

There was a few moments of silence as Mems went over the data which was being fed to him, before he replied. "Confirmed, there is certainly something out there and I can say with confidence that it is not a natural event."

"So it is a vessel?" Lauren asked with a hint of concern in her voice. "Is it Covenant?"

"I really can't say for sure." the A.I replied, "There is too much disturbance for me to get an exact reading, but there is a vessel there."

"I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later." the officer said with a deep sigh. As much as she did not like to believe it, there was now a possibility that a Covenant had some how managed to not only reach the Andromeda galaxy, but also managed to locate the Worth colonies. Sure Mems could not tell just what the vessel was, but then again just who else would be out here and hiding in the shadow of a gas giant? Anytime a vessel is in hiding, it only means that it does not want to be found and when it does not want to be found, then it only means that it is up to no good. Like planning an attack on the only civilian population center on Worth just to spite the human government.

"Mems, contact Commodore Ross and Captain Warner on the Lexington and inform him of that we may have some uninvited guest."

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

Within minutes of receiving the Agamemnon's message, Commodore Jacob Ross ordered the entire fleet to red alert. Almost immediately the Lexington's compliment of Katana and Longsword bombers were being prepped for possible combat, the small combat ships being armed with Shiva-class nuclear anti-ship missiles. Their warheads packing enough destructive power to level a city or at the very least, cripple a Covenant super carrier. It was a scene which was played out on every fighter wing in the fleet, as humanity's history had shown what they could never have enough fire power when dealing with a coalition of spices which had brought them to the very brink of extinction.

In the humble and yet to be paved streets of New Plymouth, the military had begun to evacuate the entire civilian population outside of the settlement. Several large caves had been discovered to the west of the city and would be used as make shift shelters for the fleeing masses, a duty which was not unknown to these natural rock formations, as they had been used as shelters before and during the construction of New Plymouth.

In space, the military commanders quickly devised a plan of attack to deal with this new threat. The fleet would be split into three groups:

Group one would stay behind in orbit around Worth and would consist of the flagship Lexington, the cruisers Say My Name, Ernest E. Evens, and the armed freighters _UNSC_ _Robert Smalls, MV Galactic Conveyor, MV Bay of Biscay _and _MV Panorama. _They would remain in orbit with the supply ships and if needed, evacuate the colonist.

Group two would involve the remaining war ships including the Agamemnon, they would venture out and engage the enemy force and hold the line long enough for the colony, as well as the terra forming operations on Mesa and Bounty to be evacuated as well.

Group 3 will consist of squadrons of Katana and Longsword fighter bombers. They would be the first to engage the Covenant vessel with their Shiva missiles and when that was done, group two would move in and finish the job.

But while the UNSC were getting ready to face off again a potential showdown, they were completely unaware of the drama which was being played out at that very moment.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_(Merchant Vessel Swiftsure, in low orbit around Worth Seven) _

To say that the Naboo registered freighter had seen better days, would have been a correct assumption to make. Then again the vessel had just barely escaped a run in with pirates just three days out of Naboo, so it was no surprise that the vessel now sported numerous blaster marks on its hull. In a last ditch effort to save his vessel and crew, the Swiftsure's captain made a blind jump to hyper space and in retrospect it did work. Unfortunately the ship's navigation systems had been damaged during the attack and as a result, the Swiftsure was now deep in the wild regions of the galaxy with no hope of rescue or being able to find their way back home.

From his position within the still smoked filled bridge of his ship, Captain Makai was reading through the damage reports he had received from each section and things were not looking very good at all. Fifteen of his men were either dead or missing, possibly blown out into the void of space the the hull ruptured on decks four and five. Thirty more were gravely injured and were in need of serious medical attention, which would not have been a problem it the medical bey had not been on deck five and the ship's doctor was not listed among those who were missing. In short the crew of the Swiftsure were in dire straits and it was anyone's guess just what would happen next.

"Engineering... what is your status?" Makai asked as he pressed a small button on a near by console.

"It... it's not looking good." a voice on the other end replied. "It's a mess down here sir, all the systems are fried. It's amazing that the core did not go critical or we would have been screwed."

"I want to know if you can get it repaired, Surmen."

"It will take some doing..."

"Well do what you can, I have no intentions of staying here for the rest of my life."

"Yes sir!" the senior engineer replied, just before the link was cut.

"Now if I only knew just where we are." the captain muttered to himself, as he looked over his command. As he looked on at what was once an organized and collected command bridge, the Naboo could nor help but to wonder of the Trade Federation were the ones who were behind the attack which crippled his ship. It was a known fact that the Trade did not take to kindly to independent freighter operators and would use less than honorable tactics to discourage anyone who they perceived to be a threat to their profit margin. It would not have surprised Makai if those pirates were in the Trade's pocket, it was a common practice among senior Trade Federation officials to pay mercenaries and other less than honorable groups to attack anyone who dared to challenge the mega corporation. No matter how small they were.

Suddenly one of the near by consoles began to beep, alerting Makai that something had been picked up by his wounded vessel's sensors. Could those pirate have managed to track his ship all the way out here in wild space? Even more worryingly, what did they have planned for his already battered crew?

But what happened next would forever change the life of the human captain and his crew, as well as change the way everyone in the galaxy perceived themselves in the universe at large. For as Makai pressed another button to open communications with the approaching vessels, a voice one the other end said...

"Unknown vessel, identify yourself."

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_(Ensign Kimberly "K2" Kopacsi._ _335__th__ Fighter Squadron) _

It had to have been one of the strangest vessels Kimberly had seen in her life, as it was just hours before that her fighter squadron had left the safety that was the hanger deck of the Say My Name and the entire squadron had thought they would be facing off with the remnant of humanity's greatest threat. But instead the entire fighter force now found themselves gazing upon a vessel which was completely unknown to them.

The vessel looked as if someone had taken a loaf of French bread, some beer cans and put them together to design a vessel which did look very practical. As a matter a fact, it looked as if emphasis had been place on how the vessel looked, rather than what it could have been used for. It was also at that moment that Kimberly and the rest of her squadron noticed that the "alien" ship showed signs of violence a sections were exposed to space. Obviously this was not a Covenant capital ship, but just who did this vessel belong to and more importantly, what the hell happened to them?

"All craft hold positions around alien vessel." the voice of the force commander came over K2s helmet speaker system. "The Agamemnon is coming in to make contact with the unknown."

Sure enough a slip space portal appeared just "above" the fighter formation and the hulking mass that was the UNSC Agamemnon came lumbering through. No matter how many times Kimberly had seen the Jacob Keys-class destroyer, she was always in awe of just how something so big could be so graceful at the same time.

"Unknown vessel, identify yourself." Another voice boomed through the pilot's head set, apparently her fighter was inadvertently picking up the destroyer's attempt to make contact with the unknown vessel. But what she heard next, completely threw her off.

"Please, don't destroy us!" another voice replied with a pleading tone, a voice which was speaking perfect English.

_'Oh my god...' _Kimberly thought to herself, as she continued to listen to the exchange which was taking place. There was a moment of silence before the Agamemnon replied, "Unknown vessel, what is your purpose of being in this system?"

"We... we were attacked and we were forced flee without setting a hyperspace point."

_'What's Hyperspace?' _

"Unknown Vessel, you are trespassing near a UNSC administrated colony."

"Please we mean no harm." the "alien" ship pleaded again, "Scan our vessel, we have no weaponry and half my crew is in need of medical treatment."

"Vessel, where do you hail from?" the Agamemnon asked, as it held position just twenty kilometers away from the Swiftsure. Its main guns directly at the wounded ship, as the crew on board were still not ready to take any chances.

"Naboo."

_'Oh my god... ' _a now stunned Kimberly thought, as the gravity of the situation began to weigh on her. _'We just made first contact...'_

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

****_ B.B.C. Galactic~ _

_~ BREAKING NEWS ~_

"_Uh yes, we are sorry to interrupt you programing, but we must now go to the U.N.S.C. Headquarters on Reach where a news conference had been called by the military. We now take you to the press conference which is now under way." _

_~ Fleet Admiral Lenard Earl, U.N.S.C. Navy_

"_I want to thank everyone for coming on such short notice at such on ungodly hour. Three nights HIGHCOM received a message from the commander of the Worth Colony defense fleet stationed in the Andromeda galaxy. He has informed us that his fleet had come into contact... with an alien vessel." _

"_Admiral! Admiral! Did we just hear correctly and you just said that an alien ship was detected in our colonies outside of the Galaxy?" _

"_Yes, and I can assure you that HIGHCOM and the government shared your disbelief when we first head the news." _

"_Admiral, these... aliens, do they have a name? Where are they from?" _

"_They call themselves 'The Naboo' and they claim to come from a planet within the Andromeda galaxy called 'Naboo'. Apparently their vessel was attacked and their arrival into the Worth System was purely accidental." _

"_Admiral, do you have any images of what these Naboo look like?" _

"_Uh, yes I do and they will be released very soon. But for now it is my duty to inform you that Parliament and the office of the President had agreed to attempt open dialogue with the Naboo government and we will continue give you information once it become available. Ladies and Gentlemen, I can not tell you just how big an event this is, for the second time in our history, humanity has made contact with an... alien spices. Only now though we have a chance to truly coexist side by side in peace and as equals .We have a chance to make friends rather than enemies and HIGHCOM as well as the President, have no intentions of losing this opportunity. _

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

In the following weeks after the press conference on Reach, more and more information was released by the government to feed the growing curiosity of a public who were now infatuated with the idea that there was life beyond the Galaxy.

From what was being said, the Naboo were a relatively peaceful people who had a rather unique style of governance and that the Andromeda galaxy was in fact teaming with life. But what really caught everyone by surprise was the fact that the Naboo were human. The discovery of humans living in another galaxy was quite possibly the biggest _(Non Covenant War related) _story to break in decades and it was not long before questions and theories about just how they got there began to spring up.

Within a mater of weeks the proverbial book about what humanity knew about the Andromeda Galaxy had to be rewritten. They now knew that Andromeda was home to literally thousands of civilizations, many of which were space faring and had been so for thousands of years. But of course with the discovery of Naboo and this massive "Republic", it was not long before many people began to see the potential for trade and business opportunities. That possibility still may have been years away, but it was a promise which was too good to pass up and it was not before many companies began to make plans for their eventual long term investment in the Andromeda Galaxy.

A new chapter in the story of the human race just begun and it would be one which would be felt by all life both in the Milky Way and Andromeda.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**A/N: **Well what do you think? My first new chapter in weeks and I hope it was worth the wait. Like I said this is just the beginning and there is more to come. But be warned I am also writing another story and I will start on that chapter before the next one for this. _

_Until next time, Nightstalker signing out. _


	3. A Planet called Naboo

_**A/N: **__And I am back with the next story to the Andromeda Chronicles and before we get to it, I want to thank everyone who reviewed my last chapter and thought it was awesome. You guys are awesome for being so nice. Also, I got good feed back for my other story so I will be starting on the next chapter after this one. _

_To "hazjosh1" Flattery will not get you anywhere, but keep it up! ^^_

_To "mouse" Glad to see you are still around and that you enjoyed my fics!_

_And to everyone else, you guys are awesom and oh, I have been trying to catch up on Star Wars: Rebels and if you have not seen it... ~gets a bull horn~ __**AHSOKA WAS THERE!**_

_Now that I have spoiled it for you cause I am evil mwah ha ha, on to chapter!_

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

Just as many had hoped, with diplomatic relations opening up between the Terran Union government and with the recently discovered _Galactic Republic_, came the news that many of the governments within the Andromeda Galaxy were ready to do trade with the TUG. In 2585, a trade mission went to the city planet of Coruscant to show just what the Terran owned companies had to offer the citizens of Andromeda. Though perceived as "under developed" and "primitive" by many of the major corporations in Andromeda, there were still those who were impressed by what the Terrans had to offer, mainly in the fields of agriculture, construction and most notably, freight.

For years many worlds had to rely on the _Trade Federation _to transport goods across the galaxy, often having to pay massive fees in order to do so. Mainly because they were usually the only real option these governments had when it came to export and that they were the only ones who could guarantee that their goods would be protected against pirate attack. The Trade did have one of the most powerful military bodies in the galaxy after all and no one would ever dare to attack a trade vessel. It was a fact in which the Trade knew and was quick to remind others when it was announced that a number of outer rim planets had decided to openly deal with the Terran companies.

What made the Terrans companies so desirable was their use of _Slip Space_, rather that the more common FTL drives which were being used. Basically Terran vessels did not need to use the established trade routes which the Federation used and as a result, the Terran companies did not charge as much as the Trade Federation. Obviously the leadership of the Trade were none too happy with the unwanted competition they were getting from these new comers to the galactic community and were willing to do all they could to sabotage the Terrans' foray into commerce in the galaxy.

One of their biggest attempts came when certain individuals paid off some less than honorable individuals to attack Terran merchant ships and six months after they began operations, the _Trans-Galactic Darbishire _came under attack by pirates in the outer rim territories.

Unfortunately for the Trade Federation, the Darbishire would be the last Terran vessel to ever be attacked by pirates in the Andromeda . As the merchant vessel was surprisingly heavily armed and was not only able to fend off the pirate attack, but destroy the flag ship in which the pirates were using. Needless to say after the incident, more and more governments began to flock to the Terrans to do business with. As they now knew that their cargo would be just as safe with the Terrans as they would be with the Trade Federation. It just would not cost as much.

For the Trade, this fiasco with the Darbishire was a major set back in their attempts to force out the Terrans, but soon another opportunity would arise when the Republic senate passed a bill which would tax the trade routes. But little did the Trade leadership know at the time, this one action of pure spite, would result in one of the biggest change in power the galaxy had yet to see.

But our story does not begin within the halls of the Trade Federation or the Galactic senate, but rather on an artificial island which was the temporary headquarters of Terran military in Andromeda.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**[ A Planet called Naboo... ] **_

_**Date: **October 15th, 2596._

_**Location:** Angelika Island. New Plymouth, Worth._

"Commodore, we have received another message from our consulate in Theed. They are reporting large numbers of Trade Federation units are moving into the city and have begun to round up the population." a young officer informed his commanding officer and others, as the group were now assembled in the _Colonial Defense Force _base's conference room

Present was the commander of UNSC forces in the Worth, recently appointed Commodore _Alexander Morrison_. With him on this night was General _David Mathews, _commander of the UNSC Army detachment assigned to the Worth colonies and he was also the de facto commander of the Worth _Colonial Defense Force. _Also present was Governor _Jackson Neilson _of Worth and at least for now, the Worth system. Together these three men represented the current governing body of the Worth system and for the last few days, they were all closely following the events which had transpired on Naboo.

When news about the Trade's blockade reached the colonies, Governor Neilson was quick to inform the Terran government back in the Milky Galaxy. This was a cause for great concern indeed, as Naboo was one of the TUG's closest trading partners in Andromeda and it did not take long for people to guess just why the Trade chose to blockade Naboo.

"Well I guess it's official, the Trade has invaded Naboo." Neilson replied, as he allowed the news to sink in. "Have they gotten any information in regards to the Queen or her court?"

"Yes sir, ambassador _Hikari _said hat she heard from some local officials that the queen and two of those... Jed Eye... have fled the planet." the officer replied.

"Weren't those two supposed to end this blockade?" General Mathews commented, as he could remember hearing that the Republic were sending these "Jedi" to defuse the situation. "Well, so much for the diplomatic approach and I seriously doubt that the Trade would be willing to listen to us."

"Let's just hope that the president agrees with you when we talk later." Neilson replied. "There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the Trade targeted Naboo because of our close relations with them. They probably just trying to send a message to our other partners that can do the same to them just as easily."

"Well I think we should respond in kind." Morrison replied. "Of course the president would have to sign off on any military operations."

"Commodore, are you suggesting that the UNSC be sent in to interfere in an internal matter which has nothing to do with our government?" the governor asked the flag officer.

"No, but then again we can not afford to allow this... mega corporation to intimidate our allies and force them to back out of the trade agreements we signed with them." the flag officer explained. "This could just be the beginning."

"Well for your sake, I hope the president and parliament agrees with you." Neilson replied. "But in case they do I strongly suggest that you come up with a plan of attack. Cause they are gonna want a quick solution to this problem."

"Understood, sir."

"Good, but for now lets call it a night. Dismissed." and with that, all three men left the conference room and made their way to their respective offices.

Just how was it possible for a privately owned corporation to acquire the means to operate a military which was far larger than anything in the galaxy, was anyone's guess. Even more so, how could anyone allow them to just invade and occupy an entire planet without being challenged? Such a thing could have never happen in the Milky Way but apparently this was the norm in Andromeda and now an ally was now under the Trade's control. If this was a sign of things to come, then something needed to be done and soon, or the Terran Union could lose out majorly.

But now it would be up to the parliament back on Earth to decide upon the next course of action and what ever they chose, would forever impact the way the rest of the galaxy viewed the Terran Union as a whole.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_( Mos Espa Grand Arena, Tatooine. Two days later... )_

"I tell you what, this is quite the spectacle!" Edmund Cross exclaimed over the sound of the roaring crowd, as he and his entourage took in the annual Boonta Eve Classic from the Mos Espa Grand Arena.

Cross, a Terran, was an sport promoter from the colony Santa Fe had traveled to Andromeda scout new forms of sport entertainment and which he could promote back home. Over the last several months the promoter had been traveling across Andromeda in his quest to find new investments, but so far the "entertainment" which he had found so far had either been too complex most Terrans too understand or in the case of his latest stop on Tatooine, far too dangerous. Over the course of this particular event, Cross noticed a number of high speed crashes which left no doubt in his mind that those who were involved, did not survive.

The Boonta Eve classic may have been quite possibly the biggest and most entertaining event the promoter had seen while in Andromeda, but it still may have been too much for the average viewer back home to stomach. Especially since he had originally planned to hold Similar events on Santa Fe. "But some how I doubt the people back home would agree with all the death which has happened."

"Yet I am told that it is the main draw for this event." one of Cross's entourage commented, as he checked the data pad which he held in his lap. "Look's like that local boy Skywalker won the race."

"That young boy is certainly impressive." Cross replied. "Though I'm surprised that they would let someone that young to race."

"Yet another reason why most people will frown upon this back home."

"Indeed, lets get out of here, before our captain gets restless." the promoter replied, just as his personal communicator went alerted him to an incoming message. "Well speak of the devil."

"Cross, I need you and your men to return to the ship at once." the voice the freight's captain boomed over the device's speakers.

"We were already getting ready to leave." the sports promoter replied. "What has happened?"

"I'll explain once you get back to the ship." the captain replied. "But we need to leave now"

"What's going on?"

"I don't know, but it sounds serious. Everyone, lets get moving." the rest of Cross' men just nodded in agreement, before they began to make their way out of the Arena and back towards the space port.

_( M.V. Kentucky Highway, half an hour later in orbit.)_

"So what's going on captain?" the promoter asked curiously, as he met with him in his office."I thought we had an agreement?"

"I'm sorry, mister Cross. But we got a priority one message from head quarters on Worth." the commanding officer of the _"J-Type freighter"_ , John Maxim explained. "They are asking for all available vessels to return to Worth."

"What's going on?"

"I really don't know." Maxim replied. "But as far as I see it you now have one of either two options. You can either disembark the vessel once we arrive on Worth and I can pick you back up once what ever it is ends... or you can stay on board ride out what ever it is we have to do."

"I think I will stay on board." answered back. "I paid you good money to take me around this galaxy and I am letting you off the hook just yet."

"Fair enough, I strongly suggest that you and your party get settled." Maxim stated. "Because things could get bumpy."

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_( Storm, Naboo System. One week later... )_

"Confirmed, detecting the presence of fifteen Trade Federation capital ships." Ensign Chelsea Boucquez stated, as she stared into the monitor which was positioned in front of her. For the last six hours Chelsea and the rest of the crew of the _GA-E 1 "Madcap" _surveillance craft, had been conducting reconnaissance missions against Trade Forces in the Naboo system. Using the gas giant and its many moon for cover their location the Madcap, which was a variant to the older Longsword interceptor, had been monitoring the movements of the Trade Federation fleet in orbit around Naboo. As well as intercepting any and all transmissions which were being made.

So far they were able to establish just how many ships were currently around the planet and just what the fleet commanders were up to at that moment. The strange thing though was that the Madcap had picked up several transmissions which were directed towards Coruscant, but what really made it weird was the fact that they were heavily encrypted using software which the could not be deciphered. But now the GA-E-1 and its crew were about to be apart of an event which the Andromeda galaxy would not soon forget.

"Sir, I am detecting energy spikes around Naboo, Looks like the commodore had launched his attack." the young ensign informed the spy ship's pilot.

"Initiate the jamming transponder." the Madcap's pilot ordered. "Let's make sure that their friends can't come to save them."

"Yes sir." Boucquez replied, as she activated the jamming signal. The Trade around Naboo were now completely on their own, _Operation: Just Cause _had begun.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

"Who ever said that the UNSC had gone soft, should see this now." Captain Maxim commented, as he stood on the bridge his vessel and looked on at the carnage which had taken place.

"Operation: Just Cause" the mission was called and it saw for the first time in history, the UNSC coming to the aid of a government after its ruler requested that the Terran government intervene and intervene they did. Within minutes the Trade Federation fleet had been all but destroyed, save for one vessel which now had two destroyers docked on each side. Truth be told, Maxim held no sympathy for the Trade, as he heard that the Federation had been known to "bully" smaller operators and ever steal their cargo for ransom. Now they had been taken down a peg or two and it was a though which made him smile.

Within a few minutes the freighter entered the planet's atmosphere and began its decent towards the surface. On board the Kentucky Highway, thousands of tons of food rations, medical supplies/equipment, building material and the trucks which would be transporting all of it to the cities, were ready to be unloaded, and dispatched towns which needed them. The military operation may have ended with the Trade surrender, but the humanitarian mission had only just begun, as the Kentucky Highway and other civilian vessels were now getting ready to supply aid where it was needed.

Soon the J-Type freighter came down in a small clearing with two other vessels, where they were met by a detachment Royal Naboo Security Forces who were ready to escort the convoys. Many of the soldiers in awe by the presence of these some what massive Terran vessels.

"So this is Naboo?" Cross asked out loud, as he and a few others stood on the hull of the Terran freighter. "I did have plan to visit here last, but I'm here now. Nice place."

"Yea, it is a nice place." Maxim replied, as he looked on at the line of trucks which were now leaving the clearing. "Believe it or not I do have plans to retire here one day, settle down and have a family. You ever though about doing that?"

"I've tried the whole relationship thing... it's over rated in my opinion." Cross stated. "Either way this trip has been a bit of a bust, I think I will be heading back home after this."

"Oh well, I guess not everything works out the way we want it two."

"Maybe..." Cross replied, as a idea soon came to his head. "But you know what, I think I will stay on Naboo for a little while longer. A little vacation for myself."

All the captain could do was nod in reply and look on silently as the other two freighters began to off load their cargo as well. It had been an eventful week to say the very least but now as he stood upon his ship, Maxim could not care, we was just too busy enjoying gentle breeze which blew through the crystal blue sky.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_( November 28th. Glinn's Field, New Plymouth.)_

"Well the Trade are obviously pissed." Morrison commented, as he read the information which was being displayed on his data pad. "Looks like they have been trying to get planets to place an embargo on us!"

"Joke would be on them, we don't import anything from those worlds." Governor Neilson replied, "All we do is haul cargo for them and from the looks of things, there is gonna be more business."

"Indeed, who knew that taking out a few Trade vessels would make people want to do business with us, especially now they knew we are willing to back them up?"

"Well I still have to let you know that there are a lot of people back home who did not agree with what we did." the Worth Governor stated.

"There were people who did not agree with us arresting those who were apart of the Spartan scandal either." the commodore replied. "But in the end they had too agree that what those people did to those children was criminal."

"You should be glad that many in parliament agreed to your plan to intervene in the Nabooo crisis." Neilson reminded the flag officer. "In any case befor I go there one last thing to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Queen Amidala has requested that you be present at the royal palace in Theed for a medal handing out ceremony." the governor explained. "Apparently they have created a special award for those who helped free her planet and you are receive one."

"Really? Well I... don't know what to say." Morrison replied, completely in shock over the fact that the queen of Naboo herself, wanted to give him an award for his actions. "What is it called, the award?"

"The _"Liberation of Naboo" _medal." Neilson replied with a small smile of his own. "and say you will be there for the celebrations."

"Yes sir!" The commodore replied, just as the governor exited the room and got ready to return to is offices in New Plymouth."

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

The events of the Naboo crisis and the subsequent intervention by the Terran military forces, would forever be remembered by those who were involved. For the people of Naboo, it would be the beginning of a close and prosperous relationship between their planet and the Terran government, a relationship which would forever define the Terran's place in the galactic community.

For the Trade Federation though, it was a humiliating defeat which would forever haunt the mega corporation both figuratively and financially. What the Terrans had done was completely undermined their power in one decisive move and as a result, their traditional clientele had begun to move away from them and contract Terran companies to do business with. One such operator was a one Captain Maxim and his vessel, who got a contract from the Naboo government to run cargo between them and Alderaan. He was just one of many who enjoyed the increase in business which the Terran companies experienced and would later lead to the development of the Worth colonies.

But this was just one event to occur within the Andromeda galaxy, but no one could ever imagine just how far this one incident would be felt in the years to come and in the end, the galaxy would never be the same again.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**A/N: **Well what do you think? Not very impressive but I hope it gave you some insight on one of my favorite chapters to write. As always please leave a review and feel free to message me if you want any more insight into what I have in store._

_Now off to write the next chapter of Stargate: Guardians... laterz people... _


	4. The Togruta-Zygerrian-Twi'lek Connection

_**A/N: **__I'm back and with a new installment to the Chronicles. Anyway I want to thank everyone who reviewed and I must let you all know that I will take suggestions for future chapters, just don't leave them in the reviews, I will not even consider them. _

_To Gogo1100 :I am trying to figure outr a way to work that into this story. _

_To KnightOfZaku : You may like this chapter, you the one who gave me the idea for it after all_

_And to everyone else, thanks for your support. Now on to the story..._

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

In the years following the much celebrated, if not controversial actions of the Terran Union government during the Trade Federation's blockade of Naboo, the _Terran Union _and the _Naboo Government _entered an golden age of trade and investment. An era which would not only see the Naboo economy boom unlike any other time in it's history, but also saw the transformation of the Worth Colonies from a trio of under developed planet, to intergalactic boom towns in their own right.

With the Terran freight companies starting to prosper in the Andromeda galaxy, a new mass exodus occurred as hundreds of thousands began to settle in the Andromeda colonies. There were new jobs being created and a need for people to fill them, especially now as Terra Forming operations on Bounty and Mesa had finally come to an end and the TUG needed people to manage the new mega farms and mining facilities which now existed. Not to mention that there were now opportunities for people to find their fortunes in new ventures.

But like all good things, this golden age quickly came to an end when the _"Clone W_ars" erupted and the Terran government soon found themselves having diplomatic relations with two waring factions who were eager to have the TUG join their ranks and fight the latter. But even as the Galactic Republic and the newly formed _Confederacy of Independent Systems_ were going at each other like two rabbit Pit Bulls, the Terran Union stood firm remained a neutral party in the first year of the conflict. But an event would soon occur which would not only threaten the Terran's neutral status, but would forever change humanity as a whole.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**[ The Togruta-Zygerrian-Twi'lek Connection... ] **_

_**Date: **April 7th, 2607_

_**Location: **Kiros_

This was certainly a position which _Governor Roshti _never thought he would be in, as he stood alone within his private residence and looked out at the Togruta colony which he had helped established not too long ago. When he and many others like him first settled this planet, the hope was that they could build a society where they and others could free to express themselves artistically and live in peace. Even when the war began, the governor expressed the wishes of his people to the rest of the galactic community to remain neutral and have no part in a conflict which was ripping apart the galaxy.

But it was days ago in which that hope was shattered when the leader of the CIS contacted the governor and informed him that Kiros would be used as a base for the Confederacy's war machine and that the colonist would be "relocated" to ensure their safety. Obviously Roshti did not like the idea of having to leave their home just to make way for a military base, even more so he did not trust Count Dooku or the Confederacy to begin with. All the Togruta of Kiros wanted to do were to be left alone in peace and now the war they did not want any part of, was now threatening their way of life. But what could they do?

Just like the Confederacy, Roshti held no love for the Galactic Republic and did not trust them as well. As far as the governor knew, if he were to ask of the Republic's help, the planet would still play host to an military base and his people would still have to be relocated. The Togrutan colonist were most certainly between a rock and a hard place, in a no win situation where either choice would be mean the end of their way of life. But as the governor pondered just what his people should do, an idea soon came into thought and even though it was a long shot, Roshti figured it was still worth the effort.

With an heavy sigh, the Togruta governor pressed a small button on his desk and when he did, the image of a predatory bird clenching a planet in its talons came into view on the holoprojetor.

"This is Governor Roshti of the Togruta colony on the planet Kiros." the elderly Togruta said in his most authoritarian voice. " When we first settled this world, our hope was that we would be able to live our lives as we see fit and be free of the political instability which had plagued the galaxy for so long. But now the conflict we have tried so hard to avoid has finally reached our door and we fear that without your help, we will become another casualty in this already devastating war. Therefore, I humbly request as the representative of my people, that our planet and our community fall under the dominion of the Government of the Terran Union."

**( **_**Three Days Later... )**_

The sun had not to long arisen in the Kiros sky, as Governor Roshti and a small crowd had gathered just outside their settlement to meet with the leader of the Confederacy.

The count himself had not too long arrived on the planet with a contingent of battle droids and a female individual who had an air mystery and evil surrounding her. Everything was going according to plan, all he needed to do now was to convince the Governor that his people needed to be settled off world for their own safety and as soon as they were on the transports, then his associates in the Confederacy senate would be very happy indeed.

"Governor Roshti, I assume that you and your people have come to a decision over my offer to settle off planet?" the count said in a calm voice. "I assure you that this is for the benefit of your people."

"I am sorry Count Dooku, but I am afraid that our planet is no longer yours to do with." Roshti told the sith. "My people have decided to remain."

"I am sorry, but I came here believing that you have agreed to my terms to resettle." the count stated, a hint of annoyance growing at the back of his sinister mind. "Need I remind you that allying yourselves with the Republic is certainly not in your best interest."

"Believe me when I say we do know what it in our best interest." the Togruta replied. "And we never said that we were allying ourselves with the Republic."

"Uh... sir..." one of the B1 droids suddenly spoke up. "The fleet is reporting that a dozen Terran warships have entered the system and are on a intercept course."

"The.. Terrans?" Dooku asked curiously, truly puzzled by the sudden appearance of the Terran fleet.

"You see Count Dooku, I have an obligation to protect my people." the governor stated, as his group began to smile once they heard that the Terrans were on their way. "And the only way I could see to prevent us from becoming apart of your war, was to enter a union with the only government which has shown no interest joining either the Republic... or the Confederacy. Hence I contacted the Terrans."

There was a long yet uneasy silence as Dooku began to ponder his next move. This was something in which the Sith and former Jedi could have never imagine happening, instead of bowing down to the Confederacy's demands, the Togruta of this world managed to ally themselves with the Terrans and from the looks of things, the Terrans were now honoring their alliance with these colonist. Obviously Dooku was none too happy with this development, but he was yet able to mask his anger as he replied... "Very well." and with that, the Sith and his entourage made their way back to their ship.

"You are not just going to let them go, are you?" Ventress asked her master.

"I am afraid this is one of the times that we must admit defeat." Dooku explained. "These Terrans as it seems, have more influence among the population of the galaxy than we once previously thought."

"So we are just going going to let them take the Togruta?" the Dathomirian Sith asked, a bit surprised that her master was so willing to give up so easily. "What about the deal with the Zygerrians?"

"As far as I see it, the deal is officially off." the senior Sith replied, just as the group entered the transport and the doors closed behind them. Within minutes the Confederacy transport had cleared Kiros, on its way to dock with the _Invisible Hand _in orbit. But it was at this point that the Terran fleet finally arrived and took up their positions around the newest "colony" of the TUG.

From her vantage point within the confines of the transport, Ventress could see a number of these Terran built instruments of war hovering just above the planet. These vessels were nothing like anything she ever witnessed the past were quite possible the ugliest ship designs the Sith had ever seen. But as she looked closer at the ships and began to study them, Ventress soon realized that the Terran vessels were designed for one thing alone and the designers did not hesitate to go all out in making sure that these ships carried out their intended purpose. These vessels were meant for war, to take the fight to the enemy and bring their crews back home alive.

If the Dathomirian was in awe of the Terran warships, then she did a very good job at masking it. Even as the vessel she was in disappeared into the hanger bay of the Confederacy flagship.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

News about the Togruta colony on Kiros joining the Terran Union, soon swept across the galaxy and caused a wave of both shock and disbelief among the galaxy's population. In a move that most people would have called bold and outright outlandish, Kiros had offered them selves to the Terran government in an attempt to remain neutral , but what was even more surprising was the fact that the Terrans had accepted the offer with open arms and formally announced the apparent political union between there government and the Togruta colonist.

Interestingly enough, this move was widely celebrated in both the Republic and the Confederacy. As people saw it as a case of a planet getting fed up with this ongoing conflict and deciding to leave their respective faction, just so as they could be able to live in peace. Not surprisingly, it was not long before a number of worlds began to seriously consider allying themselves with the Terrans, so as to avoid getting involved with the clone wars.

But not everyone was happy with the Terran's apparent "annexation" of Kiros and felt that it was their right to not only beat the Terrans back, but claim the Togruta of Kiros as their own. Unfortunately for this group, their hostile actions against the Terran Government would only result in not only their defeat, but the complete destruction of their civilization, as well as their dreams for a new slave empire.

The day the Terrans struck back, was the day the Zygerrian civilization came to an end.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**Date: **May 1st, 2607_

_**Location: **Zygerrian Royal Palace grounds. _

The city itself was largely abandoned by now, save for the slave which had been left behind by the fleeing Zygerrian population, as a rather large convoy _U.N.S.C. Army _and _Marine Corp _vehicles rolled through the empty city streets unopposed. It was just hours ago that this once vibrant city was sent into a mass panic, as news of the approaching Terran fleet reached the masses and that the fleet which was sent to intercept them had been defeated.

With their planet now defenseless and with both Republic and Confederacy backing the Terrans, the Zygerrians were completely alone and there was no doubt in anyone's mind just want the outcome would be. Soon millions began to flood the numerous space ports on the planet in an attempt to flee, leaving their slaves behind to fend for themselves. Unfortunately despite their poor conditions many of the now unsupervised slaves went after their former masters in a blind rage. Subjecting them to the very same unspeakable acts which had done on to them.

No one was safe as men, women and even children soon found themselves on the receiving end of their vengeful slaves and it was something the Terran units were now witnessing first hand. The streets were littered with the dead and mutilated bodies of those who were not able to escape the monsters they had created.

"Jesus Christ..." the leader of the Army contingent, Colonel _Jordan Nostrand_ commented. As he and the men of 45th Thunderbird Division rolled through the streets, on their way to the Zygerrian Royal Palace. "What the hell happened?"

"If I had to guess, shit hit the fan." another soldier commented. "From the report, these Zygerrians are slavers and apparently their slaves were none to happy with there forced servitude."

"Apparently indeed." Nostrand commented, as his convoy another mutilated body in the street. "How far are we from the objective?"

"Two minutes out." the soldier from before commented, as he glanced down at his data pad. "command says they want her majesty alive."

"Let's just hope that she still is, Simmons." the colonel replied, just as his Warthog rolled through the main gates of the palace. Just like in the streets, the palace grounds were littered with more Zygerrian bodies. Apparently the palace defenders were overwhelmed and eventually overrun by the freed slaves.

A few minutes later the last Warthog of the convoy entered the palace and its compliment of soldiers began to disembark. Two Warthogs then positioned themselves by the gate with their heavy machine guns armed and ready for just in case the Zygerrians launched a counter attack.

"Alright, listen up!" Nostrand announced to the assembled soldiers. "Welcome to the former seat of power of the Zygerrian slave Empire and our objective for today is to locate and arrest her majesty Queen Miraj Scintel. I know many of you would not mind putting a bullet in her hide for what what she had subjected so many lives to and honestly I would not blame you for wanting too. But our orders are to bring her back alive so she can stand trial for her crimes."

"Um sir... I'm afraid that someone may have already beaten us to the punch." Simmons replied, as his attention was transfixed on a object which was hanging from one of the palace's balconies. Curious, the colonel took out his binoculars take a closer look and when he did, Nostrand was with a sight which would forever haunt him.

For now hanging from the balcony with a whip wrapped around the neck, was the mutilated body of Queen Scintel herself. No one was safe from this wave of violence, not even the queen herself.

"My god..." the colonel muttered, "Simmons, take some men up there and retrieve her body. Command is going to want us to confirm that she's dead... and take a body bag with you."

"Yes sir!" the UNSC soldier replied, as he went off to assemble his team. About an hour later, Simmons and his men returned with the deceased monarch in tow. The body bag which held the late queen being thrown unceremoniously into the back of one of the Warthogs with a loud and "wet" thud.

With the Queen of the Zygerrian people confirmed dead and the Terran flag now flying over the palace, there was only one thing Nostrand could do at this point. Picking up his personal com link, he said "This is Colonel Jordan Nostrand of the 45th mechanized infantry division. We have taken the palace... and Queen Scintel is dead."

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

Needless to say, the galaxy did not mourn for the demise of the Zygerrian civilization or their queen, as the galaxy was once again entranced by the actions of the Terrans. With the destruction of the Zygerrian Slaver Guild and the release of the hundreds of thousands of their former slaves, the Terran government was now faced with the problem of taking care of these refuges. Many of which had blatantly refused the Republic's offer to settle on their worlds, but what was even more surprising, was the fact that all of them wanted to remain in the Worth colonies.

It did take some doing, but in the end the Terran government agreed to allow the refuges to stay and grant them citizenship. Even more so the residents of the Terran colonies, specifically those on Mesa, welcomed the former slaves with opened arms and helped them to assimilate into the population.

As the years went by though the former slaves, mainly consisting of Twi'leks, began to add to the already unique culture which had been created by humanity's Andromeda colonies. Which by this time now included the planet Kiros and the Togrutan settlement, a settlement which flushed and grew.

But the real impact of the TUG's newest citizens would not be felt until after the formation of the Galactic Empire and the UNSC now had to build up their military infrastructure to deal with this new possible threat.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**{A/N: Lets fast forward a bit, shall we?} **_

_**Date: **May 1st, 2633_

_**Location: **Fort Williams, Mesa_

The atmosphere was a rather cheerful one within the confines of the UNSC army base, as the latest recruits from the Army's_"Tank" _school were getting ready to graduate. The last eighteen weeks had been rather brutal , as these men and women were put through the paces of learning how to operate and maintain the UNSC's new M920 _"Dragon" _main battle tank.

Over the last few weeks, the tank crews learned how to operate these complex yet deadly machines, as well as trouble shoot problems which may occur while in operation. For these tank crews, it was the culmination of a life long dream and they would soon be officially apart of the UNSC Army, while some of them will end up in the Marine corp. But for others, this would be the historic moment not just for themselves, but for their people as well.

You see, the majority of these graduates were in fact Twi'lek. As a matter a fact, these graduates were the descendents of the slaves which had been liberated from Zygerria and who had settled in the Worth system after wards. Ever since their liberation, the former slaves now refuges, were forever grateful to the Terrans for what they had done for them and when the UNSC announced they would be taking in "non-humans" into their military, the response was beyond what anyone had expected. As thousands signed up for the Army, Navy, Marines and Colonial Defense Force.

But now they would be taking the next step, as the army had taken the decision to create a entire tank unit which would have only Twi'leks crews and commanders. It may have been a controversial move to have an all Twi'lek heavy armor unit, but it was a decision which was widely celebrated among the Twi'lek population and it was a move which bore fruit.

For one Twi'lek by the name of Jon Arboro, it was a culmination of a life long dream. Like many of the other graduates, Jon was the son two former slaves who got married a few years after their liberation. The Mesa born Twi'lek grew up in the city of San Loma on the planet of Bounty, where his father and mother found work in a hotel as room attendants. From a young age Jon knew that he wanted to be in the military, to be apart of something bigger than himself and of course, drive one of those "cool" tanks. It was a goal which his parents supported wholeheartedly and they were thrilled when they found out that he had been admitted into the army for training.

Now almost two years after entering the military, Jon's dream was about to come true.

"Alright everyone, listen up!" a voice called out to the recruits. "Showtime in five, so get ready!"

"Well, this is it." the green skinned Twi'lek said to himself, as he formed up with the rest of his class mates and got ready to march out.

The day itself was perfect in every way an form, the sun shown brilliantly in the cloudless blue sky, as a gentle breeze blew through the military facility's grounds. Soon the air was filled with military styled drumming as the Army's newest tank crews made their way from the barracks and towards the stage which had been set up for the ceremony. Rows of seats had been set up before the stage itself and were filled up with those who had been invited to the graduation ceremony. Jon smiled as he saw his parents seated in the third row, but focused on making sure that he was marching in time with the others.

Soon the recruits made their way to the front of the stage and sat down in the seats which had been provided for them. Then a man dressed in a class-A army uniform made his way to the podium and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is General Louis Han and I am the commander of Fort William. I want to personally welcome all of you to celebrate the passing out of the United Nations Space Command Army's newest tank crews."

There was a small round of applause before the general spoke again. "Now... I want to let you all know that the enthusiasm expressed by these men and women when they first entered the program, could not even be placed into words. But over the last four and a half months, they have shown duty, comradeship and team work. Three of the things which the army prides itself on and are exemplified by those seated in front me here today."

"Now without further ado, I will now call out the names of those who will graduating here today. Which they will come up on to the stage and receive their pins which will designate them as full fledged tank operators."

One by one the Twi'leks of the UNSC Army got up from their seats and collected their pins, which looked like small outlines of the older Scorpion tanks which had been recently retired. Jon for his part was more than a bit excited as he waited for his name to be called, as he was about to fulfill his life's dream. He was going to be a tank driver and be apart of something which had actually rescued his parents all those years ago. You could say that if it was not for the UNSC, there was a very good chance that he would not have even existed.

"Jon Arboro..."

"It's time." the young Twi'lek said to himself, as he stood up from his seat and made his way to collect his pin.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**A/N: **Well what do you think? I hope you guys enjoyed it cause it was not easy to write. Anyway as always please leave a review and tell me what you think. Until next time... Nightstalker out! _


	5. The Story of Avan

_**A/N:**__ Nightstalker here and I'm back with a new chapter! Now I must warn you that in this one, I'm not focusing on any major even from my last stories. But rather something completely separate and focusing on someone who was created just for this chapter._

_So please be kind and I hope you enjoy it. _

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

As the war between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems continued to drag on and enter its third year, it was still anyone's guess just when the fighting would come to an end. So far the Galactic Republic had managed to make some significant gains against the Confederacy, reclaiming a number of star systems from the Dooku lead regime and they were not shy about letting the entire Galaxy know about their recent string of victories. Yet as the galactic media outlets continued to report the magnificent victories of the Republic, they were not too keen on reporting about those who had been caught up in the cross fire.

Millions had been displaced from both the Republic and the Confederacy, as the two powers continued to battle one another for control of the galaxy. Many of which being forced to flee the fighting with nothing more than a few personal items and the clothes on their backs, forced to leave their lives behind and in many cases, having no choice but to start over again. Something which many were finding hard to do, as they found it harder and harder to find a safe planet to settle on. At the beginning of the war governments which had not been affected by the war, were more than willing to allow those who had been displaced and hah allowed refugees to settle on their worlds.

But as the conflict intensified and with more and more resources being thrown into the war effort, the same governments from before soon found themselves hard pressed to support these displaced populations. Soon rationing of all sorts had become the norm around the "civilized" galaxy and it was not long before economies which were already being strained by this conflict, began to fail and eventually collapse.

Not surprisingly, it was not long before rumors began to spread about a growing movement within the Republic, who were inspired by the actions of the Togruta on the planet Kiros. The Terran annexation of the Togrutan colony still had an powerful effect on the galactic population, as many were still in shock over the Togrutan's decision to become part of the Terran Union. For many this was a clear sign that things were very wrong in the galaxy and that the both the Republic and the Confederacy were no longer acting in the best interest in the very same people they claimed they were fighting for.

But for others, it was a sign that if they were to truly wanted to have a chance to start over, then there was only one place in the galaxy where they could start a new life away from the war.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**( The Story of Avan...) **_

_**Date: **Febuary 3rd, 2608_

_**Location: **Worth System_

If one were to look at the space around the planet Worth, they would have never known that the galaxy was at war. Even though the conflict had been raging for the better part of three years, merchant vessels from both the Republic and the Confederacy still frequented the Terran colonies to conduct trade. But by this point in the war the majority of the freight which was being transported throughout the war torn galaxy, were being shipped by the Terran freight companies such as _Virgin Galactic _and _Maersk Lines._

Not surprisingly, the Worth system began to prosper as a result and for a galaxy at war, it had become a beacon of stability and for a fortunate few, hope. It was not too long ago that the colonies experienced a a major surge in population when the Terran government gave hundreds of thousands of former slaves, refugee status and allowed them to settle in the system. It wasn't long after that before more individuals began to flock to the Terran colonies in an attempt to flee the fighting and be granted the same status.

One such individual was a young woman by the name of _Avan Santone_, who like many others hoped that the Worth colonies would be a chance of a new start. Her journey to the Terran colonies had been a very eventful and hard one, since the young woman was forced to flee her home of Onderon after Sanjay Rash overthrew King Ramsis Dendup and sized control. From there the young woman spent the next few months traveling around both the Confederacy and the Republic, paying her way by getting odd jobs on freighters and in certain space ports. With her money saved up and with her immigration papers in order, Avan was now in a position to apply for refugee status in the Worth System.

In the months after the Zygerrian conflict, the Worth Colonial government passed legislation which would allow persons fleeing the Clone Wars to settle in the colonies, as long they had the proper paper work with them and more importantly... no criminal record. Something which everyone who had been displaced, did not have and many tried to forge. Fortunately Avan had everything in order when she left Onderon and had managed to keep them safe while she traveled from space port to space port.

But her travels had taken a toll on the young refugee, as she had been exposed to things which had an lasting effect on her. Avan knew that she was one of the lucky ones, as she had seen others in her position fall victim to slavers, robbers, smugglers and other unscrupulous individuals who took advantage of their situation. Even now as she sat quietly in her assigned quarters on board the Terran vessel, Avan knew that she still had a long road ahead if she wanted to have a normal life again. She would have to find a place to live, as well as a find a job so she could support herself financially. The refugee was not so naïve to believe that her life will automatically get better once she got to Worth, Avan knew she would have to work hard for the life she wanted.

But first, she would have to go through immigration and more than likely spend a few days at an detention center, before she could be allowed to live on the planet. The Terran authorities did have to make sure that the information she gave was accurate after all, Avan just hoped that her months of staying under the radar of the authorities would pay off and she would be allowed to leave the centers soon.

"_All hands, this is the captain."_ a female voice boomed over the vessel's PA system, causing Avan to sit up from her seat and listen. _"We are making our approach to Pilgrim Tether Station. All passengers please secure your belongings and prepare to disembark. For the crew of the City Of Vancouver, I want to thank you for traveling with us and we hope that your trip was enjoyable."_

_'As enjoyable as things could get on a freighter.' _the young woman muttered to herself, as she gathered her things and made her way out of the large cargo container which had been converted into a private quarters by the freighter's crew. It may not have been five star accommodations, but it was far better than some of the places she had lived over the last few months.

About an hour later, the Vancouver had successfully docked with Pilgrim and its passengers had begun to pour into the space station. Pilgrim itself was a rather new orbital facility, so new in fact that sections of the station were still technically under construction. But despite the work which was still being done, Pilgrim was operational and could accommodate six vessels at any given time. To say that Avan was a bit taken back by Pilgrim station, would be correct. Just the idea that she could ride a elevator from space to the planet below filled her with awe and impressed her very much. Just why wasn't there anything like this in rest of the galaxy?

It was not long before she was able to snap back into reality and began to move with the crowd towards the main "plaza" of the station. A large, open area which was ringed by shops, restaurants and a number of other businesses which were catering to the needs of those who were passing through the station. _'And they say this place is still under construction?' _she wondered, as Avan moved through the plaza and towards the immigration center.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

"Name?" the man in an immigration officer's uniform asked, as he sat behind a desk and peered into the data pad in his hands.

"Avan Santone" the young woman replied with a neutral tone, as she sat in the harden chair and allowed herself to be questioned by the Terran immigration authorities. Just as she had predicted, Avan was sent to a detention center on the planet's surface, not to long after she had applied of refugee status in the Worth colonies. It was where she had been staying for the last few weeks while her documents were processed and local doctors ran test to make sure sure that she was not carrying any viruses or any other medical conditions.

There had been a number of incidents where certain individuals had attempted to enter the colonies with forged documents, documents which usually hid the fact that they had criminal records. The colonial administration was not about to allow the star system to become a haven for the galaxy's criminal element.

"Do you have any family living within the colonies?" the officer asked, as he glanced at the young woman before him.

"N... no." Avan replied, a hint of sadness flashing across her face as she heard the word, "Family". When Onderon fell under the leadership of Sanjay Rash, the new tyrannical leader went about the business of eliminating anyone who he thought was a threat to his regime. Unfortunately for Avan her family was the first to feel Rash's wrath, as one night forces which were loyal to the new leadership came to her home and arrested her family. By some miracle Avan was able to escape her home without being detected, but it was the last time she saw her parents and sister alive, as the very next day she hid away on a freighter and left Onderon.

"Have you any criminal record?"

"No."

"It states here that you want to apply for refugee status, but you are from Onderon." the officer stated. "From the latest reports, Onderon had rejoined the Republic and the situation there has stabilized. Do you believe that your life would be in danger if you were to return to Onderon?"

There was a pause before Avan replied. "Yes... I do."

"Well... thank you for your time." the immigration official suddenly said. "We'll get back to you as soon as possible."

"Um... thank you." the refugee replied, before she got up from her seat and exited the room. Uncertain of what her ultimate fate would be.

She could not go back to Onderon, she did not want to go back to Onderon. There was really no reason for her to go back and she still did not feel safe to go back to a world where she had heard that elements who were still loyal to Rash, were attacking those who once opposed his rule. But all Avan could do now what return to her room and wait for immigration to make their final decision, it could quite possibly be the longest week of her life.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**( One Month Later... )**_

"Welcome to Black Tom!" the taxi driver announced, as his vehicle slowly pulled up to the side walk and came to a halt. _Black Tom _in question was the name given to a residential area of New Plymouth and was mainly home low income families. Black Tom got its name from an UNSC armory which once existed in the area when the city was first founded, but was moved to another location once the population started to grow. But while the building may have moved, the name Black Tom remained and was quickly adopted by the city planers as the official name for the district.

"That will be 3.75." the taxi driver told his vehicle's sole occupant, as he turned to face them.

"Thank you very much." Avan replied, as she took out her purse and paid the man his fee. "Can you please help me with my bags?"

"No problem." the driver replied, as he got out and prepared to open the car's trunk.

Avan was a very lucky and it was a fact which the refugee knew very well. At the detention center there were hundreds of individuals like herself who were attempting to seek residence in the Terran colonies. But for many of them, their hopes for a new life would come crashing down, as the only reward they got for their troubles, was a one way ticket back to either the Republic or the Confederacy. It was a fact many of those who were in the camp found hard to accept and for at least one individual, there was only one way they could have avoided going back to what the Terran Government saw as her home.

Avan would never forget that night, as just hours earlier the Terran authorities had released a list of those who would be sent back to their respective home. Obviously those who heard their names being called were not too happy with their situation, but for one it was as if all was lost. She was a young Twi'lek who was not that much older than Avan and much like the Onderon native, she too had fled her home of Ryloth because of the war and had come to the Worth Colonies in hopes of having a new life. But unfortunately the TUG had denied her entry stating that the situation on Ryloth had stabilized and it was safe for her to return.

For the Twi'lek, returning her home world only meant that she going back to a world which had been largely neglected by the Republic and it would only be matter of time before she would become just another statistic for the black market slave trade. For her there was only one way out of her situation and in her mind, there literally no going back.

A blood curdling scream from one of the center's tenants alerted everyone that the Twi'lek had taken matters into her own hands. As she was found hanging from the ceiling of her room with a bed sheet being used as the instrument of her own self inflicted demise. Apparently she would rather die than go back to her "home."

Fortunately for Avan, the fates were truly kind to her and just three days after this unfortunate incident, she was granted residency on Worth. For the first time in what felt like ages the Onderon native felt happy, as she knew that her life now had a chance to turn for the better, but Avan knew that she still had a long way to go before he life could truly return to normal.

"If it is too much to ask that if you can help carry my bags to my apartment?" Avan asked again, as she looked at the brick building before her.

"No problem, but are you sure you want to be living in this area of the city?" the Taxi driver asked curiously. "Black Tom does not have a good reputation in New Plymouth."

"I'll be fine." Avan replied, knowing very well the the suburb of Black Tom had a bit of a reputation of having a crime problem. "Besides, it has to be better than some of the places I have been."

"If you say so." the driver replied, as he took some of Avan's bags and walked into the building. Avan's apartment in question, had been found for her by a group known as _"Helping Hands"_, a charity which had been set up by a number of Terran individuals to help refugees settle into low income housing and provide some financial aid, until they could support themselves.

For Avan, her new home would be this one bedroom apartment in the Black Tom district and although it was not even furnished, just the idea that she now had her own home, filled the refugee with a sense of pride. Even more so, Helping Hands was currently attempting to find a place of employment for the Onderon native, as Avan made it clear that one of her top priorities was to find work. But for now she would have to adjust to living in a brand new city, on a brand new planet, in a culture which was far different from any other she had experienced.

A short walk up a flight of stairs delivered a slightly winded Avan to her new home on the second floor of the three story building. Upon opening the door with a key which was supplied by her new land lord a few days prior, Avan was met with the sight of a rather spacious, all be it empty, apartment. The walls were white and green on color, as the main living area consisted of a living room with a small corner being a dedicated kitchen area. An arched door way lead to the apartment's single bed room which oddly enough, had a small bed and mattress with no sheets. The apartments bathroom was thankfully, surprisingly clean with a standing shower and small bath tub and after months of relying on public facilities, the bathroom was most definitely a sight for Avan's sore eyes.

"Well that's the last of it." the taxi driver announced, as he gently rested his client's bags on the floor. "So this is your new place huh?"

"Indeed... it's all mine." Avan replied, "though it should look better once I get some furniture for it. Um... how can I reach you if I am in need of your services again?"

The driver then took out a small card from his pocket and replied, "Here's my number. Call me if you ever need me to drive you anywhere."

"Thank you..."

"Hank." the driver replied. "My name is Hank."

"Well... thank you, Hank." Avan said with a small smile of her own. "I will be sure to call you if I need you."

"No problem. Have a nice day." Hank replied, as he exited the living room and closed the door behind him. Leaving behind the apartment's latest tenant alone to look over her new living quarters. It may not have been as "modern" as the home she once shared with her family on Onderon, but it was still comfortable enough for her to happily call home.

As she walked over to the main window and looked down at the street below, Avan could see the residents of Black Tom going about their daily activities. Just as Hank's taxi pulled away, a group of young children ran down the street and into a small store which had fruits and vegetables on display outside. She saw a group a people standing around a street vendor with a small cart, all of them either waiting for or enjoying the small meals said vendor was preparing.

A few vehicles would pass on the streets, every so often slowing down and stopping to allow persons to cross. While in the distance, Avan could see a small number of construction cranes among the growing skyline of New Plymouth. In all, it almost reminded Avan about the life she once had before she was forced to flee Onderon, the setting may have been different, but life was the same her as it once had been.

Today was the first day of her new life within the Terran colonies, she may have been all alone and despite the fact Onderon was now under Republic protection, there was still no word about her missing family. She may have escaped with her life, there were some scars she had which may never be healed. Only time will tell if her life would become better in the Worth Colonies, but for now he main focus was to be able to support herself and build a new life.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

Time marched on as the days quickly turned into months, and months into years. In that time the district of Black Tom as well as New Plymouth as a whole, began to bare witness to changes which no one could have ever imagined. With the emergence of the Galactic Empire and the growing influence of the Terran Government within the Andromeda Galaxy, the Worth colonies grew at a rate many could have never seen coming.

The Skyline of New Plymouth, once non existent save for the tether station, was now dominated by skyscrapers which seemed to go on forever into the sky. While new road networks and rail lines were built to deal with the increase of traffic which now flowed throughout the city. New housing developments had been built to deal with the sudden inflow of persons from the Milky Way, who had come because of the jobs which were being created in construction . Both on world and off. A new Military Academy and University had been opened as well, not to mention more and more businesses had become sprout up.

But yet in all this change, the district of Black Tom had remained relatively unchanged, save for the fact that a new monorail system now ran through the area and the community now home to a large number of Twi'leks and Togruta. But when war broke out again in the galaxy, new additions were added to the city such as bomb shelters and hastily constructed military barracks. But life continued to go on throughout the conflict until everything came to a standstill when the city was thrown into celebrations when the Empire surrendered and peace had been restored.

Yet as the city and the galaxy continued to change, Avan was able to rebuild her life settle down in her adopted home. In the almost thirty years she had been living in Black Tom, the former refugee had succeeded in starting a new life for herself in the Terran star system and in some ways, she even managed to surprise herself. She still lived in the same building she moved into all those years ago, only this time she was no longer a tenant, but now owned the entire building. Where she now leased the first two floors. But the third level, she kept to herself and for good reason.

"Hey beautiful." a male voice said happily, as he welcomed home his wife.

"Hey Hank." Avan replied, as she allowed herself to be hugged by her husband. Before the couple shared a kiss between them.

Not too long she had moved into her new home, Avan started a friendship with the same taxi driver who had brought her to Black Tom and they were friends for many years. But it was not long before that friendship developed into something more and ten years after her arrival, Avan and Hank were married in a small ceremony in the city.

Together, the newly wed couple started a family and for a time, had moved into a new home outside the city. But when the opportunity came to buy her former apartment, the couple pooled they money together and with the aid of a small load from the bank, the couple moved back into Black Tom and began to lease the building to new tenants.

"How was your day?" Hank asked as he continued to embrace his wife. "Any good news?"

"All they told me is that they would call us if they found out anything." Avan replied, as she walked into the living room and sat down. When Onderon was captured by Alliance forces, Avan set about the task of attempting to find out what had happened to her family and if any of them were still alive. It may have been a long shot if they did, but for Avan she needed some form of closure.

She contacted the immigration authorities and asked if they could at least allow her to return to Onderon, but the military had stated that the situation was still unstable and as a result, immigration denied her request. Though they did promise to search for her family member for her. Apparently Avan was not the only one looking for family members and the government had begun a program to locate the relatives of those who were living in the Worth system.

"Well we just have to wait for now." Hank replied, as he sat down with his wife. "A lot has gone on in the last thirty years, it could be a while before we hear anything."

"I guess you're right." Avan replied, a hit of sadness could be heard in her voice as she spoke. A fact which did not go unnoticed by her husband.

"Hey, cheer up." Hank replied. "Say here's what, how about we change and I treat you to a nice dinner at Joe's Pizza?"

"Okay, that sound like a good idea."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Hank got up to see just who it was.

"Mister and Misses Jones, it's immigration. We need to talk to you." a voice called from out side. Curious, the couple open the door and were greeted by a young woman in a immigration officer's uniform.

"Can I come in?" the young woman asked politely.

"Of course, please have a seat." Avan replied. "May I ask what is the reason for this visit miss...?"

"Sato... Miss Sato." the woman replied. "And this visit is about your request to locate surviving family members on Onderon."

"What?" a now stunned Avan replied. "You were able to locate them?"

"Well yes and no." the immigration officer replied. "We were able to locate you sister Tara, but I am afraid that from what we were able to find, she had been imprisoned and subsequently executed by the Imperial government after she was found to be aiding rebels on the planet."

Avan could feel her heart suddenly sink, as news that baby sister had been executed by the Empire began to sink in. Hank saw the sad expression forming on his wife's face moved in to comfort her. "I... I don't know... what to say..."

"How ever, we were able to locate her family and it turns out that she had a husband and two daughters of her own. One twelve and the other nine."

"She... she had a family?" Avan said in disbelief, as moments before she felt that her world had come crashing down.

"Yes, they had been hiding out with the Onderon rebels after your sister was taken." Sato replied. "The DNA sample you provided to us confirmed that they are you sister's daughters and are their aunt."

"But... why did you come here? Couldn't you have just called us?" Hank asked curiously.

"Because we needed you to sign these." and with that, the immigration officer took out some documents and stated, "If you sign these papers, we can have them immigrate to Worth. Seeing that you are the only family they have, you will be responsible for them while they are here."

Avan could not believe what she had just heard, she had two nieces living on Onderon with their father, her apparent brother in law and now she had the option to bring them to Worth to live with her. "You think I should?" Avan asked her husband, looking into his eyes with a unsure look.

"They are family." her husband replied. "You don't have to ask me for permission."

With a small yet happy smile, Avan took the papers and signed them as quickly as she could. "How long before they can come to Worth?"

"Once I get these filed, two weeks for the latest." Miss Sato replied. "Well thank you for your time. Have a good evening."

"Thank you, thank you very much!" Avan replied happily, as she and Hank saw Sato out the door. For the former refugee, today was quite possibly the happiest day of her life, as she went from grieving for her younger sister, to celebrating the fact that she now had two nieces who she had never met before.

It was a bitter happiness Avan was experiencing, as the death of her sister still saddened her greatly. But she was still happy to learn that Tara had started a family of her own and for at least for a time, was happy. At least there was still a chance for her to find out just what her sister's life was like.

For Avan, a new chapter in her life was about to begin and hopefully, it would be written with the help of her new, extended family.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**A/N: **Yes I know it was not all that, but not these chapters will focus on the events of my previous stories. Anyway I hope you enjoyed it and there is still more to come so stay tuned._

_Oh... I have been starting to play with the Idea of starting a new FB page so you guys could interact with me, and spam you with my ideas for future stories. As well as funny pics and videos I find, but not sure if I should. So let me know and depending on what I hear, I just may do it. _

_So until next time, Nightstalker out! _


	6. A Tale of Two Monarchs

_**A/N: **Hey guys, sorry for the long delay in updating this story, but I have been very busy on my end and real life has a way of trolling you when it's ready. Plus I have been helping a couple people with their projects. _

_Anyway this chapter is actually two stories on one subject which some have you have asked me to focus on, so I hope you like it. _

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

If the Galactic Republic was truly winning the war, then one could have never guessed they were by just walking amongst those who lived under its banner. At the beginning of the conflict it was as if the entire population of the Republic had thrown its support behind the war effort and were completely united in the fight to reunite the galaxy as it once had been before. Governments openly supported the creation of the Grand Army of the Republic and threw the bulk of their resources into ensuring that this new military force was more than capable of defeating the Republic's enemies. While those who lived on Republic worlds allowed themselves to adapt to the new rationing policies which had been created to ensure that this newly created war machine was well funded.

In the beginning, the citizens of the Republic did not mind these minor sacrifices which they all believed were necessary to ensure victory. But as the war entered its third year and threatening to go on into a forth, these necessary sacrifices were proving to me more of a burden on those it were originally intended to benefit. Food and fuel rationing which had been instituted at the beginning of the war, had long since lost their appeal with the population at large. Planets which had large numbers of Clone troopers, soon grew tired of these genetically engineered soldiers being stationed on their worlds, even if they were said to be there as a deterrent to possible invasion by the Confederacy.

It was not long before a strong resentment towards the war and specifically the Republic senate, began to build among the population. It was a sentiment which was shared by those who were tasked with being their representatives in the very same senate which was being shunned and it was a feeling which was well founded.

Despite what was being said, the Chancellor had basically given himself more powers than any other person had before him. He openly allowed funding which was meant to go into civil and social projects , to be cut almost in half so as to continue tofund the war effort. The Chancellor even openly criticized the attempts by a few senators to seek a possible peace treaty with the Confederacy, a move which would have stopped the fighting and save many lives. It was as if the Chancellor only cared about destroying the Confederacy, rather than the well being of the very same people which called the Republic home.

It was not long before the grumblings of those senators began to grow and rumors of a new movement within the senate began to manifest itself in hushed tones. They were all apart of the Republic and at one point supported the war to reunify the galaxy, but they were being largely ignored by the powers that be. But if they were being ignored, then there question was being asked among not only the population, but the individual governments as well...

_'Why were we still apart of the Republic...?' _

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] ] **_

_**{ A Tale of Two Monarchs... }**_

_**Date: **September 11th, 2609_

_**Location: **Aldera Royal Palace, Alderaan. _

A sheet of amber light had covered the capital city of Alderaan, as another day come to an end for those who called this metropolis home. For many it was a day like any other they had experienced in the past and it was a rather uneventful one to say the very least, but one would have to look a little closer to see that something was up.

Like many planets within the Republic, Alderaan and its people had grown wary about the war and the Republic's efforts to defeat the Confederacy. In recent months the Alderaan government had been forced to adopt policies which the Republic had insisted on implementing, policies which were not being received well by those in the government, as well as in the general population. Travel restrictions, rationing of certain food items and materials, conscription of merchant vessels, all these and more had begun to hurt the already weakened economy of Alderaan and if things did not change soon, there was a very real possibility that the economy could collapse.

So far about forty percent of Alderaan's merchant fleet had been pressed into service by the Republic Navy, to be used as supply ships and other support craft for the rapidly growing fleet. Alderaan's merchant fleet was not very big to begin with and was relatively new, seeing they were formed up after the Trade Federation's actions against Naboo. But now instead of being a form of income for the government, they were now being used to support the war effort and forced into being in harms way.

Recently a number of food items had been placed on a rationing list, as a result of the Republic senate decision to increase the percentage of materials _(food, medical supplies, etc.) _to be diverted to the war effort. The only thing which so far had prevented Alderaan from suffering the same crippling food shortages which had gripped a number of other planets, was the fact that they were importing food such as wheat and sugar _(something which had been recently introduced to the Andromeda Galaxy) _from the Terran colonies. But despite the government's attempts to ease the impact of the current conflict, the population had become fed up with the way things were being handled and it was not long before a home grown anti-war movement began to take hold across the planet.

Then came news that Count Dooku, the leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and his entire inner circle, had been deposed and were no longer associated with the CIS. But what really caught everyone's attention was the fact that the new leadership of the Confederacy had shown interest in ending the conflict and opening peace talks with the Republic. But any hopes for an end to the war came crashing down when Chancellor Palpatine not only rejected the offer and even more shockingly, chastised certain senators who had openly supported the Confederacy's calls for an end to the war. More disturbingly, he passed a motion to declare war against the very same government who had offered to mediate the talks. The Terran Union.

For many worlds including Alderaan, this was a clear indication that the Republic no longer operated in the best interest of its people and it was not long a question was starting to be asked. Why are we still apart of the Republic?

It was a question which had been ringing in the ears of the entire population of Alderaan well before the Confederacy's offer and it showed no signs of going away. Earlier that day the government had called an emergency meeting to be held within the palace, while security forces had begun to move their units in front the Terran Consulate, as well as the GAR barracks located outside the city and around the planet. Not many people took much notice of the increased military presence and the ones who did, figured it was just another policy which had been forced upon them by the Republic. Little did anyone realize that things were about to change very soon.

Standing on one of the many balconies of the Royal Palace, Queen Breha Organa was surrounded by members of her court. As well as one other individual who the queen had requested to be present as well.

"Ambassador York." her majesty said with a neutral tone in her voice, as if she were uncertain about what she was about to do. As a matter a fact, she still was.

"Your majesty." the Terran ambassador replied with a deep Australian accent. "are you certain you want me here when you make your announcement?"

"Yes, I am." her majesty replied. "Palpatine has gone too far and have openly declared war on your people. This is unacceptable and I have no interest in having my people go through another conflict."

"This is a sentiment which is shared by all of us." a member of the royal court added, as he moved along side the queen. "Alderaan and the Terran people have a strong bond, even though our history together is not a very long one. We both want peace and Palpatine has shown that he does not share our interest in getting what is best for the galaxy. He has shown his willingness to start another war when we should be rebuilding."

There was a moment of silence before York replied. "You do know that after tonight, there would be no going back and I have yet to hear from my government about the fleet being sent to protect your world."

"Ambassador, we are all aware of what could happen when we leave the Republic." Queen Organa replied. "But we are also aware of what could happen if we were to be dragged into another conflict against one of our closet allies. My people are tired of war and we do not want to be apart of any future conflicts."

"Your majesty." a member of the queen's court suddenly spoke up. "I am receiving reports of a number of Terran warships have just entered the system. The commander is asking to speak with you."

"Very well." her majesty replied, as she walked towards the holoprojector and got ready to speak with the Terran commander. But before she could, the device activated and the image of the commander of the GAR contingent on Alderaan suddenly appeared before her.

"Your majesty." the clone trooper spoke up, his voice hinting that the commander was more than a bit unsettled by something. "I am receiving reports from our units in orbit that Terran vessels have entered the system. Has something happened?"

"Actually commander, I was just about to contact you." Queen Organa replied. "As queen of the Alderaan people, I demand that all units of the Grand Army of the Republic leave Alderaan at once, or be forcibly removed."

Though his face was covered by his helmet, his body language gave away the fact the clone commander was completely taken by surprise by the queen's demands. "Your majesty, what is the meaning of this?"

"The meaning of this, is that the Republic no longer acting in the best interest of Alderaan." Organa replied with a stern tone in her voice. "The Chancellor has shown blatant disregard for those who only want peace and stability. At a time where we should be rebuilding the galaxy and mending ties, Palpatine has the nerve to to declare war on the one government which have been successful in keeping itself out of the last conflict!"

"But the Terrans..."

"Are our friends!" her majesty snapped back, causing almost everyone there to jump in surprise. The Queen was not known to be the type to loose her temper but when she did... "During the war, they helped us more than the Republic ever did. They stood by us and our conviction to restore peace, it's only logical that we stand with them against their enemies. So, I'm ordering you and your men to leave Alderaan at once. You are no longer welcomed here."

Once again the body language of the Clone trooper gave away the fact that was completely taken off guard by the queen's statement and did not even bother to reply, as his image was soon replaced by that of an individual dressed in attire normally worn by UNSC flag officers.

"Your majesty, I presume?" the individual asked curiously, to which Organa nodded in reply. "I am Captain Dylan Socoro of the Laioning carrier battle group. By orders of the Terran Union parliament, the United Nations Space Command commits its forces in the defense of the sovereign planet of Alderaan."

"Thank you captain." the queen replied with a smile. "But I do believe that we may require your assistance in removing the Republic's garrison from our planet."

"Understood." the captain replied. "We'll be standing by if you need support on the surface."

"Thank you, captain." Queen Organa replied, just before Socoro's image disappeared.

"Your majesty, I think it's time you make your announcement." Another member of the queen's court spoke up. "We are now linked planet wide, everyone is going to hear you."

"Thank you." Queen Organa replied, as she took her position and got ready to speak. Today was the day Alderaan left the Republic.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

Shock, disbelief, uncertainty, jubilation. These four words could have been used to best describe the wave of emotions which took hold of Alderaan's population, when Queen Organa announced they were no longer apart of the Galactic Republic. The announcement came just as elements of the Royal Alderaan security forces surrounded a number of GAR facilities, ordering all Clone Troopers inside to stand down and surrender.

Not surprisingly the GAR Troopers weren't exactly motivated to surrender themselves to Alderaan and leave so easily. That motivation came when said Alderaan forces received back up in the form of the UNSC fleet and squadrons of heavily armed drop ships, which were now in orbit and had begun to deploy troops to support the forced evacuation of GAR units. With the Terrans in control of the space around Alderaan and their units basically cut off from each other, the Clone army had no choice but to surrender to the combined allied forces. Coming out of their barracks with their weapons raised above their heads and marching single file to the Terran landing barges which had been sent to transport them off world.

This event had mixed reactions among the Alderaan population, many of which celebrated the removal of the Clone troopers, but were uneasy with UNSC units setting up operations in the very same facilities which had been abandoned. But for the most part celebrated the monarchs' decision to leave the Republic and the move did have the support of the general population. With support growing even more when news about the apparent siege on Coruscant between the GAR and a combined Jedi/Terran force. This one incident confirmed what Queen Organa had said in her speech to her people and that the Republic had most certainly lost its way.

Interestingly enough, Alderaan was just one of a number of worlds which had chosen to break away from the Republic, as their governments openly protested the actions taken by Chancellor Palpatine against the Terran Union. But what was really interesting about this entire event, was that during this time, the galactic population was introduced to another civilization who had allied themselves with the the Terran Union.

But for monarch, it would be a chance for her to meet face to face a race which shared a history with the Terran civilization.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**Date: **October 25th, 2609._

_**Location: **Theed Royal Palace, Naboo._

Over a month had passed since the short lived Terran-Republic war and the galaxy was a far different place than it had once been. The Republic had been replaced by an Empire which was now being lead by the self proclaimed Emperor Palpatine, who had the full support of the remaining senate. The Jedi Order, once seen as guardians of justice saviors of countless lives, had now been vilified by both the recently crowned emperor and the greater galactic community. Their surviving members either now living in exile in the Worth system or were currently in hiding across the recently created Empire.

But quite possibly the biggest change to happen was when numerous worlds, including Naboo, openly opposed Palpatine's rule and broke away from the Republic before it all came crashing down. For many, they thought this move would give the Republic more reason to invade Naboo and "liberate" it from the influence of the Terrans. But something happened which no one ever expected and the galaxy was introduced to a species which the Terrans both owed their lives to, but distrusted and despised as well.

They were known as the Sangheili, an "humanoid" race who came from the same galaxy as the Terrans and shared a history with this race of humans. A history which was filled with blood, genocide and unspeakable horrors which would haunt even the most hardened Sith or Mandorian warrior. This was a fact which many who had studied the history of the Terran Civilization knew and it was something which the Terrans themselves did not talk openly about. Then again who would want to talk about a time in history when ones species was brought to the brink of extinction?

It was a fact which was not lost Queen Neeyutnee, as the elected monarch walked through the palace hall ways to meet with the commander of the Sangheili fleet. It had been over a month since their arrival and the Sangheili had remained in the star system as a deterrent to any possible incursion by either the Galactic Empire, or any one of the numerous criminal organizations who wished to take advantage of the Naboo.

In that time the Sangheili had mostly kept to themselves and had avoided interacting anyone on the planet's surface. It was as if they were purposely avoiding contact with anyone and the Terran contingent on the surface was not exactly eager to socialize with the alien race.

But now Neeyutnee now had an opportunity to interact with the Sangheili face to face, as she had personally requested to meet with the force commander at the royal palace. A decision which made even her own security team feel on edge, as all they knew about the Sangheili came from the Terrans. It was not a pretty picture they painted...

Within a few minutes her majesty entered her throne room where she was greeted with a rather unusual sight. For standing in the center of the throne room was a tall, humanoid figure dressed in a very ornate gold armor. Its head was covered with a helmet which seemed to cover its entire face, save for its eyes and... mouth? But what really caught the queen's attention was the fact that this "being" had a small force of armed Naboo security personnel, apparently they had taken the Terran's warnings aboth the Sangheili to heart.

"What is the meaning of this?" her majesty asked her security team, curious as to why her guest was under guard.

"Orders from Captain Panika." one of the officers replied, as the rest of the security detail looked on. "He ordered that a full security detail be present during your talks with the fleet master, your majesty."

"It is alright, your majesty." the Fleet Master replied with a female like voice. "Theses men... do not bother me."

There was a moment of silence before Neeyutnee replied, "Very well, but please inform Panika that we will have some words later."

"Yes, your majesty." the security officer replied, before exiting the thrown room to relay the message to his superior.

Neeyutnee then turned her attention to the fleet master and said, "Fleet Master Dema 'Dajam I want to thank you meeting with me."

"It is indeed an honor meet one of humanity's allies in this galaxy." the Sangheili commander replied. Neeyutnee was a bit puzzled by the Fleet Master's response, but then remembered that the Sangheili knew the "Terrans" as humans.

"As queen, I wanted to personally thank you, on behalf of my people, for protecting our world and keeping us safe." her majesty said with a small smile, as she knew very well that it was the Sangheili which had prevented the then Republic from attempting to undermine her government by deploying more clone troopers on Naboo.

"It was our duty to help any allies of humanity." 'Dajam replied. "We are obligated to assist our human allies when ever they need us. It is... the least we can do."

"Fleet Master 'Dajam, I am curious about something." Neeyutnee suddenly stated. "Ever since your fleet arrived, you have been rather hesitant to openly socialize with my people."

'Dajam just stood there for a moment before she replied, "We... thought it would have been best that we limit our interaction with your people. We were doing what we thought was for the best."

Again their was a moment of silence as the Queen began to think about what 'Dajam had said, it was not long before the monarch realized just why the Sangheili felt they should isolate themselves from her people. Or rather, humans.

"It is because of what you did during your war with the Terans, isn't it?" Neeyutnee asked curiously, a hint a sympathy could be heard in her voice as she spoke. "'Dajam, I am well aware of your history with the Terrans and I fully understand just why you are feeling this way."

"With all due respect, your majesty... but I do not believe that you do." the Fleet Master replied. "My people did things during that war... terrible things. As a species... we are stained with blood of countless billions, we will forever carry that guilt as will our descendants and their descendants. In the eyes of humanity, we are and will always be monsters."

A worried expression soon fell upon the queen's pained face, as she could not help but to feel sad for the Sangheili as a race. Neeyutnee knew about the war between the Terrans and how they were almost driven toward extinction because of a lie with was told to a number of alien races. In all honesty Neetuyee could not blame the Terrans for being so cold towards the Sangheili, even after all these years. But the queen could not help but to understand just what this species felt, it was guilt. An overwhelming sense of guilt which had taken hold of the entire Sangheili civilization and from what she could see, the queen knew that that it could be a very long time before they got over it.

"Maybe one day the Terrans would be able to forgive you." Neeyutnee told the fleet master, but it did little to change the mood.

"I know these humans..." the Fleet Master began. "They are capable of great things, both in war and in peace. Maybe some day they will forgive my people and maybe... in a way... we would be able to forgive ourselves. But until that happens, all we can do now if try to redeem ourselves anyway possible."

"Well... I do believe that you have been in isolation long enough." the queen declared. " I want you and your men to come to the surface and interact with my people."

"Are you sure that is such a wise idea?" the Fleet Master questioned.

"You are our guest and we owe you a lot." Neeyutnee replied. "The Terrans may see you as monsters, but my people certainly do not. An neither do I."

"Thank you for your kind gesture." 'Dajam replied. "But I have my orders and I am afraid that I can not order such action to be taken." and with that, the Fleet Master took her leave.

"I, understand." Neeyutnee replied, as she watched the Sangheili commander exit the throne room. The day had been a very interesting one to say the very least, as Queen Neeyutnee got a look into the mind set of the Terran's supposed "allies."

Obviously the Terrans did have every reason to not want to forgive the Sangheili as a whole, as it were this very same species which lead a campaign of genocide against them. But after speaking with the Fleet Master, Neeyutnee could not help but to wonder if the Terran's strong dislike towards the Sangheili was still founded.

The governments may have made their peace and appeared to be working together, but that did not automatically mean the people were friendly towards each other. Certainly this was not too different to how many people in the then Republic, felt about the Trade Federation after they had blockaded Naboo. The leadership of the Republic may had largely forgiven the Trade but the people of Naboo, as well as a number of other governments, were not ready to trust the mega corporation. Maybe the Terrans and Naboo had more in common than once previously thought.

What ever the case may have been, the friendship between her world and the Terran government would continue to grow strong, that was certain. But Neeyutnee could not help but to wonder what would happen if that friendship were to ever to fall apart.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**A/N:** I had this chapter in mind for a while now and I am happy I got to do it. But in doing so I forgot to focus on another event which I truly believe deserves to be highlighted. What is it you ask? Well you will just have to read the next chapter to see what I am talking about. Special thanks to hazjosh 1 for reminding me about that incident and it will be the focus of my next chapter. _

_Until next time, NIGHTSTALKER out!_


	7. Marines

_**A/N: **Okay I know some of you may not have been expecting me to update this until after I did my other fic, but for reasons I still can't understand I decided to just go right into the next chapter for this story since well... I wanted to!_

_Now I must point out that you may want to read over my first Halo/Star Wars fic so you could understand this chapter. Cause this one is set well before the events of my last chapter, I did say I was not going in any particular order with this story now did I? _

_Anyway, special thanks to hazjosh 1 who reminded me about this event and he got me to do it, so I hope you guys enjoy!_

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**{ Marines... }**_

_**Date: **May 17th, 2607._

_**Location: **Republic Senate Building, Coruscant. _

The day had started out like any other on the city planet of Coruscant, as a convoy of three speeders left the Embassy of the Terran Union and began to make the short journey towards the Senate Building. When the Embassy first opened on Coruscant, the diplomatic corp had to adjust to the idea that the people who lived in the city used "flying cars" to commute through out the planet. As a result for the first few years the Embassy used custom built UH-144 "Falcon" transports as their main means of transport ,before the Embassy was able to acquire a small fleet of speeders. Which were surprisingly easy to operate and did not make as much noise as the Falcons they once had.

Today three of these vehicles were being used to transport the Terran ambassador, as well as her security detail, were heading to the Senate building to conduct official business. The government of Alderaan had been in talks with the Terran Union to acquire three Tug vessels for use by their small yet capable merchant fleet and if successful, this would be the largest sale of Terran made equipment since the Naboo military sale ten years prior. Under the which was being made, the vessels in question would be built in the Milky Way galaxy, but final completion would take place over Alderaan, where they would be fitted with FTL drives which the Alderaan government would supply. They TUG was not about to give away the secrets of their Slip Space drives to anyone, especially someone who already had their own way of traversing the galaxy.

From her seat in the back of the speeder, Ambassador Michele Sterling was going over her itinerary for the coming day. Her meeting with Senator Organa was just one of many she would be doing, as Sterling also planned to meet with a couple Republic industrialist who were interested in developing joint ventures in the realms of mining and construction. Not to mention Sterling had promised to meet leaders of a number of anti-war groups who wanted to voice their concerns over the conflict. Obviously the TUG had no interest in getting directly involved in the war, but it still could not hurt to hear what these people had to say.

Within a matter of minutes the three speeder convoy made their final approach and landed in one of the building's internal parking facilities, where they were met by a group of Senate Commandos.

"Are you Ambassador Sterling?" the leader of the commando team questioned, his blue armor shining due to the parking facility's lighting system.

"Qui." the ambassador replied. "I am here to meet with Senator Organa."

"We were aware of your impending arrival." the lead commando stated, "but I am afraid that Senator Organa is currently engaged at the moment, but he did ask that we escort you to his office so you could wait for him there."

"Understood." the Ambassador answered back, just as she and two of her security detail began to make their way into the Senate building.

"Alright boys and girls, you know the drill." the leader of the Terran security detail, Gunnery Sargent Eugene McKenzie, suddenly announced. Almost immediately the small contingent of UNSC marines got out from the other two vehicles began to take up positions around the three speeders.

The UNSC marines in question were apart of the of the _330__th__ Expeditionary Division, _and their main task was to provide security for the Embassy on Coruscant, as well as the the numerous consulates which had been set up across the galaxy. They did have have the same basic training as regular marines, but the 330th also had to go through special training was well to as to be more effective in their role as diplomatic security. Most notably in the field close quarters combat and urban warfare.

Their primary weapons of choice were the M6 machine pistol and M7 sub machine gun, which were not only small enough to be concealed in the marine's diplomatic uniforms _(A dubbed down variant to their standard class A uniforms), _but they also packed some serious punch as well. In short they were perfect for the role in which the 330th was designated for.

"So how long before you head back home?" a Marine named Stuarts asked one of his friends, as he and a few others stood in front of the Ambassador's vehicle.

"A couple weeks." another marine known as "Beans" replied, as scanned the parking area. "Two more weeks hear and then I'm on the first transport vessel back to Harvest. How bout you?"

"Three more months." the marine said grimly. "Three more months on this concrete rock then I'm back on Worth for a month, then I'm back on this concrete rock again."

"Heh, so is life." Beans chuckled, as he could not help but to be entertained by his friend's some what misfortune. "But you will have four whole weeks before another one year deployment."

McKenzie could help but to chuckle at the exchange between the two and although they had to give an air of professionalism while out in public, the Sargent saw no reason to keep them in check since the parking area was largely empty. Save for a few parked speeders and handful of senate commandos who were present at that time. But just as the marine team got ready to settle in to what looked like a routine escort mission, certain elements were about to make this day anything but routine.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

"I'm so sorry that I made you come all this way for nothing." Senator Bail Organa said with an apologetic tone in his voice, as he and Ambassador Sterling meet in his private office. "But I am afraid that recent events have taken up most of my time today and I must suggest that we hold this meeting at another date."

"I understand." Sterling replied, "So is the life of a politician during war time."

"Indeed so." Bail agreed, as his mind was still awash with the events which had transpired within the senate that day. Recently the Chancellor had brought up an motion known as the "Enhanced Privacy Invasion Bill" and like the name suggested, it would give the Republic security forced to basically access information from private individuals and groups without even needing paper work saying they could do so.

Not surprisingly, a large number of the Senate did not support this bill at all and were already opposed to this idea. Bail lead the the opposition movement within the senate, a task which was made harder due too the fact that two of his closet allies, Padme Amidala and Riyo Chuchi, were currently in the Worth colonies trying to rally the Terrans to the Republic's cause. "But I can assure you that my government is still very much serious in in acquiring these vessels ."

"Well it will be something my people will be glad to hear." the Terran ambassador replied, as she got up from her seat and got ready to exit the office. But just as Sterling was about to leave the room, the lights began to flicker and the door which had been open suddenly closed shut and locked. "What's going on?"

"I would like to know as well." Senator Organa added, was he went over to his desk and pressed the button on the com link. "This is Senator Organa, what is going on?" There was only silence in reply. "This is Senator Organa, anyone, what is going on?" Still, more silence.

"I'm guessing this is not the norm around here?" Sterling replied, just both members of her security detail took out their M7s and switched off the safety.

"Dragon Wagon, this is lost sheep." one of the marines spoke into his communicator. "We have a situation, what's going on?"

_(Meanwhile in the parking bay...)_

"Your guess is as good as ours!" McKenzie replied, as he and his men were also taken by surprise by the sudden lock down of the Senate Building. "What's your situation?"

"We're trapped in the office of Senator Organa." the marine stated. "Both the Ambassador and the Senator are alright, but we can't seem to get the door open."

"Don't try to." the marine Sargent replied, as he noticed a number of commandos run past his position and enter an elevator. "Hold your position and keep us informed. Something is up and it could get real ugly real fast."

"Understood sir." the marine on the other end replied, just before the com link went silent. McKenzie for his part just sighed heavily as his mind raced with many questions... _' Who was attack the Senate? What did they want? Was this a Confederacy operation and if so, what would they do to the ambassador if they encountered her and the Senator?' _

"So what do we do now, sir?" Beans asked his commanding officer.

"For now, we stay put and do nothing." the Sargent replied, as his stared at the pair of doors which had closed off the parking bay from the outside world. "It's not like we have much of a choice right now. But something tells me that we just ended up in something which has nothing to do with the UNSC. Let the Republic handle this."

"Yes sir." Beans replied, the rookie marine still a bit shaken up by what was happening around him. But still did his best to show it.

This was certainly a situation which McKenzie never thought they would end up in. The main task of the 330th was to provide security for the TUG's Embassies, Consulates and their employees, hence they were not really equipped to conduct any offensive actions. Defense not offense , that was their main roll. So for now all McKenzie could do was order his men to hunker down and wait for things to blow over, the marines may have had their weapons ready, but not enough ammo to afford a sustained fire fight for a certain period of time. The Sargent just hoped that what ever was going on, the Republic forces could handle it.

But while the marines hunkered down for what could be a long wait, unscrupulous elements were about shatter that hope and drag McKenzie's unit into the middle of an elaborate prison break.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

The hallways of the senate building were now devoid of any form of sentient life, as most of the lights had been turned off by the small group of bounty hunters which were now in control of the massive structure. They had taken control of the building's control room and as a result, had placed the senate under lock down, no one could get in and no one could get out, just as the master mind of the raid had hoped to accomplish. He was now in control and in the position to make the rules.

But to ensure that his current position would not be threatened, the group's leader had some of his men currently "patrolling" the government building. In a structure this size there were bound to be persons who had been caught by surprise by the suddenness of their attack and were probably in hiding. But if Cad could locate these individuals and have them join the senators which he now had in his custody, then maybe the Chancellor would have more incentive to meet his demands.

Thus this was why a Weequay male by the name of Shahan Alama, was currently walking along one of the hallways in the senate building's lower levels. Just like the rest of Cad Bane's team, Shahan had taken the job because of the massive payout which had been offered. Seeing that the Weequay could have always use a few million extra Credits in his pocket, Shahan took up the offer even after he found out their target was at the very heart of the Republic. But the payout out weighed the dangers and now he and his team mates had the senate captive.

All they had to do now was wait for their real prize to be released from prison and once that was done, we would be on his way to the nearest pleasure palace to enjoy himself to no great extent. So far the bounty hunter _(If you could call him that) _had not seen anyone other than the dead bodies of the commandos who tried to fight back and within a few minutes Shahan came upon the entrance to the main parking area of the senate building. The doors were closed shut but the "bounty hunter" was able to gain access by hot wiring the controls for the doors and when he finally got them open , Shahan was met with a sight he was not expecting.

For positioned around a group of parked vehicles were a small group numbering just a dozen men. Their attire certainly did not indicate they were apart of the senate's standard security force, but they certainly carried them selves like military personnel and had weapons which the Weequay was not familiar with. But then it was at that point which Shahan recognized the small flags which were displayed on the lead speeder they were standing next to and soon realized that these individuals were Terran.

A disgusted frown soon formed upon the bounty hunter's face, as he held no admiration or respect for these new comers to the galactic community. Usually individuals such as himself would prey upon merchant vessels which were not contracted by the Trade Federation and hold both the vessel and their crews hostage until certain demands were met. It was very lucrative trade to say the very least.

Then the Terrans came and that soon changed. Now most of the freight in the galaxy which was not being moved by the Trade, were now being transported by Terran companies and it was a fact which made Shahan's life very hard. These Terrans did not negotiate, nor did they take threats lightly or were willing to pay certain protection fees to ensure the safety of their vessels. As it turned out, the Terrans protected their vessels very, very well and only the most foolish of individuals would ever dare to attack Terran vessels. Individuals who were his friends, many of which had been taken prisoner by the UNSC.

But if he could capture this group of Terrans right now, he and the rest of his team mates could use them as bargaining chips to ensure their escape. Even after they were done with the senators who were already their prisoners. Besides, the group did not look like they were heavily armed and he was certain that a couple grenades would kill out most of them and those who were wounded could easily be taken as hostages.

Unfortunately while the Weequay was thinking about all this, one of the Marines spotted him and call out, "Halt! Identify your self!"

It was then that panic soon overcame the Weequay bounty hunter, as he had just been discovered by the very same people who had hoped to take as hostages. But it was then that Shahan made the last biggest mistake of his life, as the bounty hunter drew his weapon and opened fire on the assembled group. Cutting down the same marine from before who had called him out in a hail of blaster fire. While the remainder dived behind the vehicles for cover.

"Beans is down!" one of the marines called out from his position, as more blaster bolts flew over his head.

"Return fire!" McKenzie screamed out, as he drew his M7 and took off the safety. Within seconds the marine contingent opened up with their sub machine guns, the hard metal slugs screaming through the air at twice the speed of sound before impacting what ever was in their way with a fury which could not have been placed into words. But some how the Weequay was able to find cover and thew two grenades at an parked speeder which was close to the Marine's position. The resulting explosion giving the bounty hunter enough time to retreat and find his way back to the rest of his team.

Could

As the smoke began to lift and fire ball disappeared, McKenzie could see the inert form of Private First Class Pinto "Beans" Artiles laying on the cold, metallic floor. Upon closer inspection the Sargent saw what looked like a burn mark on Pinto's neck, a possible result of one of those blaster bolts impacting his unprotected flesh. There was no point checking for a pulse, as the unnatural position of his head to the rest of his body told McKenzie that Bean's family will soon be receiving a very unpleasant call.

"Get ready to move out!" the Sargent suddenly ordered. "Jamie, Raj... stay with the body. The rest of you, follow me!"

Their was no resistance to the senior officer's orders, as everyone there realized that this act of unprovoked aggression could go unpunished. Besides, one of their own had been killed by someone who may or may not have been responsible for the building's sudden lock down. So without hesitation or question, the marines readied their weapons as they filled out of the parking bay and into the Senate.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

Cautiously the marines made their way through the many corridors of the Republic senate building, their machine pistols holstered at their side, while their M7 were armed and ready to meet any threat which they may encounter. It was at this point in which the marines' basic training came into play, as they moved from position to position, only advancing when they were certain their path was clear. Every so often encountering a dead commando laying on the ground with their weapon at their side, obviously something was wrong and now the UNSC was in the middle of it.

Minutes passed as the marine contingent continued their advance when suddenly, they could hear voices coming from the lobby ahead.

"You fool! What were you thinking?!" an very angry voice shouted out.

"Don't worry, I already dealt with those Terrans." Shahan replied, all be it with a hint of hesitation. "They are probably still down there trying to figure out what is going on."

I hope for your sake they are!" the voice all but screamed . "Just hurry up and deal with the hostages, we've got what we wanted. Set the charges and move out!"

"So that's what going on." McKenzie muttered to himself, as her could over here the conversation from his position. It was just hours ago the Sargent thought that today was just going to be another escort mission for the ambassador, but not it looked as if he and his men were now caught it what looked like a hostage situation. Obviously the ones who attacked were not from the CIS, since one of them had attacked his men and from the look of things, they certainly up to no good. Especially since the marine commander heard something about setting charges.

This was now a life or death situation, as the lives of those who were being held were now being threatened . Obviously he needed to do something and since this group had attacked them directly, then there was only one course of action which needed to be taken.

Meanwhile Shahan, Cad and a female humanoid named Aurra Sing, had gathered the hostages into the center of the room, as two more began to set charges around the assembled group. Despite the incident with the Terran contingent in the lower levels, things were going according to plan.

The Chancellor had agreed to his terms and had already sent two of his followers to collect Ziro from prison, all he had to do now was make sure that he and the rest of his team were able to flee the senate building and link up with their employer. After that, they would be off world free to hide where ever they wanted.

But just as they were getting ready to arm the bombs, a burst of weapons fire broke the bounty hunter's concentration as two of his men went down screaming. Pools of blood starting to form around their motionless bodies. To Cad's disbelief and horror, the very same Terrans his so called associate said had be neutralized, were now launching an attack on him!

The Druo had little time to react, as he dove for cover shooting wildly at the attacking Terrans. Both Shshan and Aurra joined in, as the Terran Marines stormed into the room and opened up with their sub machine guns. The assembled senators dove down to avoid being hit by the combination of blaster fire and super sonic slug rounds.

"Get those people out of here! Jackson, Mendez, cover them!" McKenzie roared out as he continued to let loose with short burst from his M7. Sure enough the two marines moved in and covered the senators as they began to crawl out of the lobby and towards safety, but this tactic came at a price, as two blaster shots struct\k the one name Mendez in the head and sent him falling to the ground. But his death was quickly avenged as a combine burst burst of fire struck the position where Shahan was taking cover, the super heated bullets finding their mark and sending the Weequay straight to hell in a hail of gun fire.

Seeing that they could not hold these Terrans off for long, both Cad and Sing made a run for the exit and down the hall way with McKenzie and his men in hot pursuit. A running gun battle between the Marines and the would be hostage takers soon began, as they moved through the building and towards the main exit. Despite his best efforts to keep his emotions in check, Cad was absolutely furious that these primitive people had managed to take out three of his team mates in such short order and were now chasing him as if he were an wild animal.

Cad vowed that he would get his revenge against these Terrans, but now his main focus was to get out of this building and escape. Soon the gun battle had reached outside the Senate building, where the Bounty Hunter's speeder was waiting for him. Suddenly loud burst of gun fire, followed by a sharp scream alerted the Bounty Hunter that his last remaining companion from the Senate operation had been hit. Her right arm had been completely shredded from the elbow down, a result of two or more marines focusing their fire at the fleeing humanoid. But some how the female continued to run just as they neared their speeder.

But just as it looked as if the Terrans would have caught the fleeing duo, another speeder flew in and its occupants opened fire on the marines on the ground. Forcing the group to find cover and allow Cad and his accomplice to reach their vehicle.

"What are you doing?" Sing exclaimed, as she suddenly found herself staring down the barrel of her leaders blaster pistol.

"Making profit." the Duro replied, as he squeezed the trigger and watched as the body of his one time accomplice fall to the ground dead. Sing was wounded and she would not only slow him down, but draw a lot of unwanted attention towards the group and besides, it would be one less person to share the payout with. With his remaining team providing cover, Cad decided that he would enact one last act of spite against his attackers. As he took off, the bounty hunter grabbed a couple grenades and threw them at the Terran marines before climbing in altitude flying off with the other speeder in tow. A massive explosion alerting the surrounding area that something had occurred in the senate building.

In the following hours, numerous emergency crews and clone troopers flooded the Senate Building as the entire city planet was now trying to come to terms that such an attack had occurred. Hundreds of Clone Troopers swarmed into the building so as to secure the area and attempt to locate any surprises which the attackers may have left behind, while the local media attempted to shamelessly get interviews with those who were already traumatized by the day's events. But as this display of organized confusion continued into the late evening, there were a certain group of individuals were were still trying to deal with what happened earlier that day.

Their uniforms were now dirty and unkempt, a far cry from what they had been when the marine first started their day. Their weapons, normally concealed under their uniform jackets, now hung freely on their straps, while a drained yet somber expression were present on all those who were there. It was this sight which greeted both Ambassador Sterling and Senator Organa, as the two of them were well aware of the actions which these men under took.

"_Heroes!" _this was a sentiment which was not only shared by those who were rescued, but by Chancellor Palpatine himself. Who openly praised the Terran marines and said in an interview to the local media, _''Had earned the up most respect and gratitude of the Republic." _ But if one were to see these men now, they did not look as if the praise they had received was deserved.

"How is everyone?" the Ambassador asked a near by marine, his arm in a sling which was provided by one of the medical crews.

"We're fine, all things considered." said marine replied, his gaze still focused on his weapon which he still held in his hand.

"Well, I want to thank all of you for what you did for my counterparts in the Senate." Senator Organs said with a smile, "They, as well as my self, owe you a great debt of gratitude."

"Indeed." Sterling replied. "Where is Sargent McKenzie? I heard that he lead the rescue of the hostages."

"He's right there." the marine replied, as his focus shifted to three body bags which were laying in the center of the assembled group. It soon dawned on both Ambassador Sterling and the Senator on what happened to the marine leader. When Cad Bane was making his escape and used his grenades, the Sargent had been caught in the resulting blast and was thrown against the Senate wall. He was killed instantly. McKenzie was the last Marine to die and although he had saved many lives with his actions, the Marine was unable to save his own, now his men were keeping vigil over his body, as well as of Mendez and Beans.

"I am sorry about your people, Ambassador." Organa said, as both he and Sterling decided to leave the marines to mourn in private. "I can assure you, the Republic will not rest until those who are responsible are brought to justice."

"Thank you for your condolences, senator." Sterling replied, as the two made their way towards a group of reporters who wanted their statements. "But I can assure you that my government most certainly will not let those who are responsible, get away."

"Is your government planning something?" The senator asked curiously. Sterling just sighed heavily as she replied...

"If I know the UNSC as well as I think I do, then who ever did this only has days left."

Meanwhile across the galaxy, the _United Nations Space Command Johnathan Price_, left its orbit around Worth and entered Slip Space. On board, four Spartans who were about to drop in on certain male Duro.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**A/N:**_ _Well there you go, what you think? I was planning to make it longer, but I thought it was best to end it here since I thought it would be better if I did. As always please leave a review and tell me what you think._

_Until next time, Nightstalker signing off._


	8. On the Edge

_**A/N**__: Well I'm back after a bit of a hiatus and I want to apologize for the unusually long delay. I placed a message on my profile a couple days ago briefly explaining just what has been going on. Anyway here is my next chapter and I hope you like it. _

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

Not every vessel which the United Nations Space Command deployed in the Andromeda Galaxy, was meant to charge into battle. But their presence in Andromeda was still very important for the UNSC fleet to operate effectively in a galaxy which was now home to what many believe to be Humanity's next great adversary. With a galaxy still trying to make sense of itself after a costly war and the emergence of the Galactic Empire, the Terran Government quickly saw the need to strengthen their defenses and enhance the capabilities of the UNSC naval contingent already stationed in Andromeda.

There was already a sizable force in Andromeda and with recent developments in Slip Space technology, vessels could traverse the distance between the two galaxies within a matter of weeks or just days _(Depending on the type of vessel making the voyage)_. Hence it would be fair for anyone to assume that the UNSC would not be eager to dive head first into a project which would not only cost billions, but take years to complete. But the memories of the Human-Covenant War were still very much fresh in the minds of those who were old enough to remember the conflict and they knew very well just what the outcome could be if Humanity was not ready to deal with a threat such as Galactic Empire.

So within weeks of the Empire's creation, the Terran government launched a massive infrastructure project the likes of which had not been seen since the Covenant war. In the following years, new shipyards and fleet facilities were constructed through out the Terran administrated regions of the Andromeda Galaxy, while development in new star ship classes began to bare results which pleased the UNSC and TUG leadership. But of course having a powerful fleet really did not mean anything unless you had the ability to support them in both wartime and peace. Thus the UNSC also placed emphasis on developing and building up the Navy's auxiliary capabilities, with supply ships, repair barges and tugs taking special priority.

They many not have had the same fame which the larger capital ships had, but it would be these humble vessels which would help build the UNSC's reputation in the Andromeda galaxy as not only a major military force, but a cunning one as well.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**{ On the Edge...}**_

_**Date: **__August 11__th__, 2622_

**_Location: _**_United Nations Space Command Anchorage Wellington, Worth System._

Wellington Anchorage was unquestionably one of the more impressive sights within the Terran controlled star system and was undoubtedly one of the largest military facilities operated by the UNSC. Consisting of several large asteroids who were connected in such a way to form a almost pyramid like structure in space, Wellington was main anchorage for the United Nations Space Command's Andromeda fleet and could support literally hundreds of ships at any given time. Not to mention that the anchorage was home to six of the twelve battle groups which the UNSC had stationed within Andromeda. _(The others being based through out the Terran administrated regions of the galaxy such as Naboo and Kiros.)_

But Wellington was a lot more than just a place for the UNSC to store their vessels, the anchorage also provided services from minor maintenance to complete overhauls of vessels. The only thing Wellington did not do was build star ships from the ground up and that was only because two new ship yards were being construction around Mesa. But as it stood now, Wellington as a testament to both Terran ingenuity and as a engineering marvel of the free galaxy.

It was in this massive structure which one could find the _United Nations Command Auxiliary Caroni, _. The seventeen-hundred meter long naval tug was apart of the small auxiliary force which now made up the UNSC's fleet in Andromeda, only just arriving in the Worth System several months ago. Since then the Caroni and her mix crew of military and contracted civilian personnel had basically been traveling between star systems. Assisting in the construction of a number of military facilities through out the galaxy, as well as playing a key role in the deployment of a number of orbital defense platforms around certain allied planets.

Today the _Valiant-class _tug was back at Wellington and its crew was now enjoying some much needed down time. Seeing that they had just spent several weeks in the Confederacy, assisting the CIS Navy in constructing a new anchorage of their own. But while the Caroni's crew were settling into their much deserved rest and relaxation, they had absolutely no idea that themselves and their vessel would be called upon to take part in a mission which was oh the highest importance to the United Nations Space Command.

It was now "after hours" on Wellington, activity around the anchorage had largely died down save for a few patrol ships making their rounds around the facility. It was during this period of inactivity that four shuttle craft glided in and docked in one of the many hanger bays which were present on the anchorage where the Caroni was docked.

"I wonder why we were called back?" a voice echoed, as a pair of massive doors opened up to reveal a number of men and women who proceeded to file out of the hanger bay and into the anchorage itself.

"I don't know." another male voice replied, as the group continued to file their way onto the waiting tug. "But it must be important if the captain had us come in so late."

"Lewis, Mason! Report to your stations!" a voice boomed out, as it barked out orders to the arriving crew. "We'll be shoving off soon."

"Hey Mickey!" Lewis called out to the owner of the voice, a burly looking man by the name of Micheal "Mickey" Larson. "What the hell is going on? One minute I'm on the beach and the next thing I know I'm being call back to the ship!"

"Believe me, I know how you feel." Mickey replied. "But lets continue this later, now to your stations now!"

The young woman and her companion didn't even bother to reply, as the two EVA specialist made their way towards the "lower levels" of the Caroni and got ready to depart the anchorage . It was a scene which was played out all over the Valiant-class tug, as more and more of the vessel's crew began to pour on to the vessel, while equipment which had been removed from the vessel after its last deployment, had been hastily reloaded on to the Caroni as it got ready for it's impromptu deployment. All the while the majority of the crew were still uncertain as of just why they had been called back to active duty just days after they were sent on their mandatory three month long vacation.

Then just had the last of the vessel's crew boarded and the last air lock sealed, the UNCA Caroni rumbled to life and with a few short bursts for it's engines, the Tug slowly pulled out of its berth and eased itself out of the metallic structure. A few more short burst saw the Caroni facing "forwards" and soon the seventeen-hundred meter long vessel began to make its way out of the anchorage. Passing a couple fleet tenders and a survey vessel as it did so. Within minutes the Caroni had cleared the massive structure all together and no sooner had it done so, the Tug entered slip space en route to its next destination.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

Time passed and hours soon turned into days, as the Caroni continued to travel through slip space. Its destination still a mystery to the majority of the crew, only the senior staff would know just what was going on but they were not talking. As a matter a fact, no one had seen the senior staff since they had left Wellington and it was not long before the rumor mills began to spew out many _(Usually wild) _theories as to just what was being planned.

"I'm telling you, we're heading towards a Forerunner world." a civilian crew member announced to the group which he was apart of. "They found a new ship yard most likely."

"What makes you say that?" Lewis asked her younger friend, as she took a sip of her morning coffee. This had been the EVA specialist's ritual ever since they had left port, every morning Lewis would start her day with some scrambled egg whites with a mug of coffee with cream. Afterwords she would meet up with the rest of her work team from there they would run continuous drills and inspect their equipment until such time they would retire for the rest of the day.

This morning was no different, though she was being entertained by the numerous wild theories which were being shared by one of her table mates in the mess hall. "Are you sure you have not been huffing the fumes from the EVA suits again?"

"Do you have a better explanation for why we are out here?" Davis replied, ignoring the snickers which were coming from the assembled group due to Lewis' comment from before. "It's just like that story one of my buddies told me when he served on board the Hoist."

"Alright, I'll bite." Mickey commented, as he took a sip his glass of orange juice. "What happened on board the Hoist?"

"They were called out the same way we were." Davis stated. "Hoist got called back out to duty just a week after returning from this galaxy. They got sent to some massive alien ship yard and ended up towing one massive star ship! He said it had to have been at least twice the size of an Infinity class."

"If it was twice the size of a Infinity, then how the hell were they able to tow it?" Mickey asked curiously, "If I remember clearly, the Hoist was an Avenger-class tug, they can't tow anything bigger than a heavy destroyer."

"There were other vessels there!" Davis replied rather quickly. "Something is up!"

"Well I don't know about the whole Forerunner ruin theory, but our crazy friend here may have a point." Mickey stated, "I mean why wouldn't the Captain or anyone of the command crew say anything to us? Even I'm out of the loop, and I'm never out of the loop."

"So what you saying, Mickey?" Lewis asked her commander curiously. "We're on a black op for the UNSC?"

"It would explain that warship next to us." a new voice piped up, which alerted everyone to a member of the civilian crew who's attention was fixed on one of the few windows in the mess area. Upon investigation the mess area soon realized that the Caroni had exited slip space and was now in a star system which consisted of a large asteroid field which encompassed a White Dwarf.

But what really caught the crew's attention was the fact that they were not alone, for drifting just two kilometers from the tug was a UNSC marked vessel which came along side their vessel. "What the hell?" Lewis muttered, as she was taken aback by the presence of the warship.

"_Now hear this, Now hear this!" _the voice of the Caroni's captain suddenly boomed through the vessels PA system, it was the first time since they left Wellington that anyone had heard him. _"EVA Teams Alpha, Beta, Charlie and Delta, report to your stations and prepare for deployment. All team leaders please report to the bridge for briefing."_

"Well you heard the man!" Mickey boomed out, "All teams report to your station and await further orders."

Sure enough, the Caroni's compliment of EVA specialists began to file out of the mess hall and began to make their way towards their respective team assembly points. Still unaware of just what awaited them in the hours to come.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

Two hours had passed and Mickey had yet to return from his briefing with the captain and the command crew. By this point Lewis and the rest of Team Charlie were now in their Extravehicular Suits and were ready to move out on a moment's notice.

The suits themselves were in reality robotic exoskeletons which enhanced the capabilities of its operator. Powered by a combination of electric motors and advanced hydraulics, the suits were designed to work in an zero-g environment and could be could be customized to what ever mission it was needed for. But what really set these exoskeletons apart from their previous incarnations, was the fact that the operator controlled these suits via a neural link, meaning that all said operator had to do was think what he wanted the suit to do.

Right now though the EVA suits were bare with equipment, as Charlie Team still did not know what their mission would be. Were they going in to repair that warship they had seen hours earlier? It would not be wrong to assume that they were, but why all the secrecy? Why keep everyone in the dark on something which was usually routine?

Even more so, Lewis could not remember seeing signs that the vessel was damaged or in any kind of distress, so why were they here? Her train of thought was suddenly broken though as the doors slid open and the leader of Charlie Team came in.

"Alright everyone, listen up." Mickey announced, a hint of uncertainty could be heard in his deep voice as he spoke. "I know many of you are curious as to where we are and why we were asked to suit up. I just exchanged words with the command crew and they have told me that this mission we are on is off the books."

"Off the books?" Lewis asked curiously. "Where exactly are we?"

Charlie Team's leader just sighed heavily and replied, "Currently... we are several light years away from our Border with the Galactic Empire.

"What?" another member of Charlie Team exclaimed in shock, as the idea that they were so close to the Imperial border made all of the EVA specialist uneasy.

"I understand your concern and believe me, I don't like it either." Mickey replied. "But from what I was told, it is very important that we get this job done as soon as possible. It's only a matter of time before the Empire notices the small fleet near border."

"Fleet?" another team member asked.

"I will explain later. Mount up, we don't have much time!"

"Yes sir!" Charlie team replied in unison, as they lined up and began their long march towards the Caroni's hanger bays.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

True to Mickey's words, the space around the tug was alive with activity as a number of other vessels present withing the star system. Apart from the destroyer they has seen hours before, two more warships could were also present just outside the main formation of vessels. A few kilometers away were the tug ships _UNCA Guangzhou _and the _UNCA Saint Helena, _both vessels of which were holding position with the Caroni and had begun to deploy EVA teams of their own.

"Alright everyone, keep cool." Mickey's voice echoed through the communication system, as Charlie Team and the rest of the Caroni's compliment EVA teams used their extravehicular suits to navigate through the asteroid field and towards their target. Mickey had given his team a brief explanation as to what they were after and just what their objective would be, but first they would have to get to their target which had been "hidden" by the UNSC in the asteroid field. Normally modified variants to the Pelican drop ships nicknamed "worker bees" would have been used to ferry the workers from their ship to the work site, but because of the asteroid field it was too dangerous ships of that size to navigate through. Thus the EVA suits were relying on their built in thruster system to carry them aloft to their target.

It was quite a spectacle to see, as hundreds of these small robotic suits navigated through this natural obstacle course. Each one of the pilots knowing very well what could be the result is they were to lose focus for even just a second, but finally what for many felt like an eternity, the EVA teams cleared the asteroids and soon came upon something which left many of them both in shock and in awe.

For sitting motionlessly in the field of space rocks, was the hull of what looked like an Imperial Star Destroyer. "Oh my god..." Lewis gasped out, as her emerald green eyes fell upon the massive vessel before her.

The vessel in question looked largely intact, save for what looked like minor blaster marks on the gray hull. But as Lewis and her team approached the vessel, they could see that their early impressions of the vessel were wrong. For as the team got closer they began to notice that several sections of the vessel were exposed to the vacuum of space, as if they were caused by large explosions. But what was really strange about the whole thing was the fact that it looked as if the explosions had originated from within the Star Destroyer itself. Just what had befallen this vessel and most of all... what was it doing here!

"Alright the Saint Helena and Guangzhou teams already have their orders." Mickey announced through the com system. "We'll be heading towards the command super structure and see just what condition it's in. Charlie team, move out."

A collective "yes sir." was given in reply, as the line of EVA exoskeletons broke away from the main formation and headed towards the Imperial vessel.

Slowly each suit approached the cold, gray hull of the crippled star ship and secured themselves via the magnetic pads which were located on the "hands" and "feet" of the exoskeletons. With no visible signs of a entry point, both Lewis and another EVA deployed the suit's built in plasma cutters and began to cut away at the hull, a process which took only a few minutes to complete as the cut out was pulled effortlessly way from the rest of the hull and was secured. Apparently the Destroyer was completely devoid of any atmosphere, which explained why the hull section did not go flying into space.

Slowly Charlie team flied into the darkened interior of the Imperial vessel, their thruster system providing the propulsion they needed to move about, while powerful LED lights from the suits provided the illumination they needed to see. Obviously this vessel was completely dead in space but there was one more fact which gave an eerie feel to it, just where was this vessel's crew?

There were no signs of the Destroyer's imperial compliment anywhere, maybe they had evacuated the vessel before... what ever it was that happened, happened. But the EVA teams did not have the luxury of having to discover mysteries surrounding the vessel, they had a job to do and their superiors wanted it done quickly.

Within a few minutes Charlie Team had navigated their way through maze of corridors and disabled elevator systems, and had entered the command bridge of the Star Destroyer. Once again the team was met with the sight of an open area which was completely devoid of life or of any signs that the crew were even there.

"Commencing scans." Lewis announced, as beams of green light erupted out of a small device mounted on her suit and bathe the area in a light show which took readings and fed it back to her on board computer. "Everything looks intact, but radiation levels are high."

"Well it's not like we were planing to dismount from these things anyway." Mickey replied, as he surveyed the bridge. "But it looks like our jobs have been made easy for us. Charlie team to all units, we have secured the command bridge and everything is in order." the EVA specialist spoke into his com system and relayed the message back towards the Caroni.

It was a process which was reported all over the ship, as the EVA teams began to report about they found and what condition the vessel was in and from what could be established, the Star Destroyer was still largely intact. Save for the damage to it's hull. Now it was time for the second phase of the operation to take place, as members of the Guangzhou's EVA team went about the task of clearing the asteroid field to allow the three tug vessels through.

It took a little while but soon the Saint Helena, the Guangzhou and the Caroni had made it through the field and had now positioned themselves in "front" of the Star Destroyer. During this time the EVA teams had begun to prepare the damaged vessel for it's long transit out from this star system and away from the Imperial border. But interestingly enough, the task of towing the massive war ship would only fall upon the Guangzhou, while the Saint Helena and the Caroni would return to base of origin. No reason was given as to why, but then again this was a black op so no one really bothered to ask. Plus the Guangzhou was the larger of the three vessels, so it made sense that it would be the one to actually tow the Imperial vessel.

From her vantage point in the Caroni's mess hall, Lewis and the rest of the tug's crew could see the Star Destroyer slowly being pulled out of the asteroid field by the larger tug ship. Several large cables connecting both vessels suddenly tensing up and straining, as the four massive engines of the Guangzhou came to life and proceeded to propel both vessels out of the asteroid field. Within minutes the two vessels had cleared said field and had begun to make their way out of the system, a massive slip space portal opening in front of the two star ships before they entered the event horizon and vanished.

"Of course you all realize that this mission never happened?" Mickey suddenly announced, as he stood behind the assembled group. "Like I said before, this operation is off the books. If anyone asks, we were here on a training mission with the Confederacy."

"So what are they going to do with that ship?" Lewis asked curiously. "Something obviously happened on board that vessel."

"Indeed, but I think it would be in our best interest that we do not question it." the senior officer commented with a hint of caution in his voice. "I have been around long enough to know just when not to question things that are much bigger than we are."

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_{ Undisclosed Location... }_

It was quite possibly one of the best kept secrets in the United Nations Space Command, a massive Forerunner ship yard which was located within a planet on the very edge of the Milky Way galaxy. Yet it was located in a star system most individuals did not even know existed and those who did, just thought it was nothing more than a "dead" system with a hand full of planets which weren't even fit for mining.

But for the UNSC, it was thee perfect place for them to take advantage of the massive ship yard which was left behind by the Forerunner race. Where once mile plus long super ships were being built, the latest generation of Humanity's space faring capital ships were being at a pace which would boggle the mind of any engineer who saw it. It was just one of many such facilities which had been located via the information which had been gained from the Absolute Record and were now being used to build up the UNSC's space fleet

But within the organized chaos of automated machinery and partially completed ship hulls, was the very same Imperial vessel which the UNSC had captured just weeks before.

"I have to say, the out did yourselves on your last assignment." General Chernof commented, as stood on the bridge of the CBMI frigate and watched as an army of automated droids went over the Imperial warship.

"Indeed." Robert's replied, as he and the two other members of his team stood with the General and admired their handy work.

"Indeed so." Barriss commented, as she looked on at the Star Destroyer. "It was a pity that we were forced to use those radiation charges to... remove the crew. Then again after what we saw what they did to that refugee camp, I can't say I regret my decision to use them."

"I see." Chernof replied. "Either way, the two of you got the job done and the information we gain from this will ensure that many lives will be saved when the next conflict erupts."

"Sir, do you really think that another war is coming?" Roberts asked the older male. The Russian born general just sighed heavily before he replied. "I don't think, I know it will happen."

"Agreed." the former Jedi added, as her cybernetic fist clenched a bit. "Palpatine is arrogant and it is only a matter of time before he starts another war with your... our government."

"That is why we need to be ready and take what ever risks are needed to ensure that our forces are ready to meet the Empire head on. Good job you two." Chernof replied, as his attention soon turned to a group of vessels which were currently under construction. All of which looked eerily similar to the Imperial vessel which was moored just a couple kilometers away.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**A/N: **What you guys think? You got a bit of world building and cameos from some of my favorite characters to write for. Now I know that in my first fic I gave Auxiliary vessels the title UNSCA but I decided to shorten it to just United Nations Command Auxiliary because I thought it sounded better and I figured that at some point the UNSC would shorten it as well. But if your biggest complaint is that I did not devote a paragraph or two explaining why it was shortened, then you seriously need to get a life. _

_Anyway, like I said in the beginning I advise that you read the message I left on my profile because I really don't know how often I would be updating this or my other fic. _

_Until next time, NIGHTSTALKER signing off... _


	9. File

_*****United Nations Space Command Military Database…*****_

_*****Accessing…..*****_

_*****Request***: **__Information into the Development Specifications, and Deployment of the Alliance-class Heavy Destroyer. _

_*****Searching….*** Searching…*** Searching…..*****_

_*****Please enter security code to continue with your search*****_

_*****Access Granted*****_

_*****Beginning File No. DD-1500, "Alliance-class" Development Project*****_

_**~~Alliance-class Heavy Destroyer~~**_

_**Manufactures: **__Lockheed Heavy Industries/The Corporate Alliance_

_**Operators: **__United Nations Space Command_

_Confederacy of Independent Systems Navy_

_Galactic Alliance (Post Andromeda War)_

_**~Technical Specifications~**_

_Length: 1500 meters_

_Width: 550 meters_

_Depth: 530 meters_

_Power Plant: Four Jaguar VII Fusion Reactors powering 2 Pratt and Whitney impulse engines to a top speed of 85,000 Miles per Hour. (Sublight)_

_One Shadowspear Slip Space Drive engine. (UNSC vessels only)_

_Range: Unlimited _

_Armaments: Dual Magnetic Accelerator Cannons (installed on UNSC variants only**)_

_12 Heavy Proton Torpedo Tubes (CIS and Galactic Alliance variants only*)_

_48 M920 Point Defense Rail Guns**_

_24 M90 Rail Cannons**_

_12 Crossbow anti-ship missile pods**_

_52 Point Defense Lasers*_

_Auxiliary Craft: 60 Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicles (SOEIVs**)_

_6 D-22HU "Osprey" Drop Ships _

_**~History~**_

_Development of the Alliance-class Heavy Destroyer came about after the United Nations Space Command saw the need for a new class of warship which could be used for long ranged patrols, escort for merchant shipping and be quickly deployed trouble spots to support forces already on scene. _

_Following the formation of the Galactic Empire, the UNSC sent out tenders for a new class of Heavy Destroyers which could meet the military's requirements and soon several major ship builders emerged. In 2612 a number of designs were sent forward the UNSC High Command on Earth, where they were analysed and tested by the UNSC Design and Development Bureau and after months of research, it was announced that Lockheed Heavy Industries had won the with their design known as the Alliance concept. _

_In June of 2614, construction began of the first vessel which was to be built at LHI's shipyard orbiting Sargasso, which was to be named the Alliance. Construction was completed in 2616 and was handed over to the UNSC fleet to begin extensive trials which would last another eleven months, where in that time period the Alliance impressed the high command and in 2619, the Alliance-class heavy began full production at selected shipyards by the UNSC and by 2625, over 80 destroyers had been completed and deployed. _

_When hostilities with the Galactic Empire broke out, only 20 of the Alliance-class destroyers had been deployed to the Andromeda galaxy, with the UN.S.C. Kolkata and Fiji being lost when the Illustrious was destroyed in the open hours of the Imperial assault. By this time though, the UNSC had reactivated two Forerunner shipyards and begun to produce vessels at a rate never seen before, with the Alliance-class being built at a rate of twelve vessel a month. _

_It was during the conflict that the Heavy Destroyer began to make a name for themselves and the captains of these vessels became some of the most aggressive commanders in the UNSC fleet. Providing escort for merchant fleets which were the life line for the UNSC fleets taking the fight to the Empire, as well as leading raids against Imperial out posts and deploying ODST teams into battle._

_It was not long though before the Confederacy of Independent Systems began to take interest in the in the Destroyer class and after months of negotiations, the CIS Navy signed a deal for eighty variants of the Alliance-class. All of which would be built under license by the Corporate Alliance. But only twelve vessels are built and deployed by the confederacy before the war came to an end. As a result the CIS Navy only took procurement of twenty destroyers before the contract was terminated. _

_After the war, the Alliance-class destroyers took up a new role patrolling shipping lane which were left open to attack by criminal entities when the Empire fell. As well as taking part in operations to hunt down and capture high ranking Imperial officials who went on the run when the conflict ended, usually providing fire support for STARU and Spartan V teams which were regularly deployed on these vessels. _

_By 2645 over seven hundred Alliance-class Destroyers have been built, with five hundred and seventy-five vessels being operated by the UNSC. The Confederacy of Independent Systems maintains eighteen of their original twenty vessels, as two were lost in combat and the recently formed Galactic Alliance Navy placing an direct order for sixty-five vessels. The first of which are not expected to be delivered by 2650. _

_**~~Notable Vessels~~**_

_U.N.S.C. Alliance _

_U.N.S.C. Ernest E. Evens _

_U.N.S.C. Fiji** _

_U.N.S.C. Kolkata** _

_C.I.S. Bonteri**_

_U.N.S.C. Cornwall _

_U.N.S.C. Vergil**_

_U.N.S.C. Firebrand _

_U.N.S.C. Havana_

_ C.I.S. Defender**_

_U.N.S.C. Cape Town**_

_ C.I.S. Defiant _

_U.N.S.C. Nowhere to Run_

_ U.N.S.C. Liberator_

_(**Destroyed in combat)_

_**~End of File~ **_

_****Do you wish to continue?****_

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**A/N: **__Well what did you guys think? I hope it sheds some light on a warship I really wanted to have more of a role of in my last fic, but never got around to it. But I digress. _

_Sorry if this chapter is not what you were hoping for, but I decided to do this filler since I know I have not updated in almost two months. Anyway I want to thank those who messaged me and wished that I got better and right now I just trying to take things easy. Don't worry I am trying to get back into the writing spirit and I hope to have more chapters soon, but until then this is the Nightstalker signing out. _


	10. Cold Feet

_**A/N: **__WARNING! Fluff!_

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

Despite their controversial upbringing, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the Spartan programs and the resulting super soldiers they created were the one thing which truly held the line against the Covenant during Humanity's darkest hour.

In a program many thought would make the Devil himself cringe, the Office of Naval Intelligence "chose" candidates from an very young age. Where they were subjected to numerous medical procedures which were often questionable and borderline unethical in nature, procedures which many of the candidates did not survive and left many others crippled for life. But there were still a high number of candidate who survived these procedures who went on to be placed through punishing training regiments which pushed these individuals both physically and mentally to the edge.

The end result was an individual who was literally created to be the ultimate weapon of war, someone who would be immune to the stresses in which the normal soldier faced on the battlefield. They knew no fear and only knew that what ever mission was given to them, it had to be completed at all cost. It was only when the Spartan Scandal erupted did anyone outside the military truly understood what went on during recruitment and training. A scandal which saw the demise of ONI and sweeping reforms which would ensure that its successor would never have the same powers which its predecessor did.

But once the dust had settled and ONI was no more the Spartan project continued, all be it under new guidelines and under the recently created Central Bureau of Military Intelligence. When suitable candidates were located, they were formally approached by the CBMI and asked if they were willing to join the Spartan Corp. This time though the persons who were selected had a choice and if they declined, then that would be the end of discussions and they were never contacted again about it. But for those who said yes they immediately became apart of history, as they were now members of the new Spartan Corps.

A Corps with was more open to the Public and whose operations were much more transparent than how it had once operated under ONI. In a way the Spartan program had gained a new face and was able to shake off most of the stigma which had been attached to the previous generations. All the while still creating humanity's greatest heroes without sacrificing their lives and their humanity to do so, they still had the mental training which allowed them to cope with any situation, while still being able to assimilate back into civilian life if they ever chose to leave the corp.

But for one particular Spartan IV who now resided in a galaxy which was not so far away, no amount of mental training or conditioning could have helped him deal with the fact that his life, as well as the lives of those around him, were about change very soon…

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**{ Cold Feet… } **_

_**Date: **__July 28__th__, 2610_

_**Location: **__The residence of Daniel Stepson and Riyo Chuchi. 122 Davis Street, Edmonton District. New Plymouth. _

"Beast, will you please calm down?" Raymond asked his friend and fellow Spartan, as he and the rest of Trinity team _(Minus Mary) _sat within the kitchen of their friend and attempted to calm the former sniper down.

"Yea Beast." Jackson commented. "You're working yourself up over nothing."

"What do you mean?" Daniel (Beast) asked curiously, as he stood by the kitchen counter and nervously tapped fingers on the marble surface. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." Ray replied, "You're more jittery than a rat on crack!"

"I am not!" the Spartan IV protested.

"Yes you are, Danny." Jack said with a grin, highly amused by his friend's reaction. "You just got to relax."

"I AM RELAXED!" Daniel replied sternly. "You guys are making a big deal outta this."

"Well you are getting married in a couple days, so it is kind of a big deal." Raymond reminded his friend, as he continued to watch the Spartan pace rather nervously in the kitchen of his home. Yet all the while the older male could not help but to think about just how far his friend had come since they first arrived in the Worth system.

When the Spartan team first arrived in Andromeda, Raymond knew Daniel as a rather quiet person who would normally keep to himself when off duty. While the rest of Trinity Team would spend their off time visiting the many bars and night spots the Worth System would have to offer, Daniel would just kindly decline to join his team mates and would just explore the city on his own. It may have seemed odd that a member of such a close knit team would rather keep to himself during their down time, but Raymond decided to respect his friend's wishes and let it be. But little did anyone realize that it would be during one of these solo trips, that the quiet Spartan would encounter someone who would not only change his life, but the Spartan team.

That was just over four years ago, now Daniel getting ready for what could easily be the biggest day of his life and although the Spartan said he was fine, one could tell that he was nervous. "Come on, it's normal for a guys to be nervous before their wedding. All guys get nervous before their wedding, it's encoded in our DNA."

"Well not in mine." The former member of Trinity team replied, as he picked up a banana which was resting on the counter. "I'm telling you, I am fine and I have no reason to be nervous." And with that statement the super soldier took a big bite out of the yellow fruit…. Skin and everything. "That's….. That's how I eat them…"

"You know you're lucky Riyo isn't here to see you like this." Jackson said jokingly, "I doubt she would have like to see her husband acting this way."

"Whatever, man." The Spartan replied, as he took another bite of the unpeeled banana.

"Look, can we just get out of here already?" Raymond announced. "We have two days before the wedding and we are supposed to show the groom a good time before he get hitched!"

"You're right." Daniel agreed. "Time for us to have some fun before… well before I get hitched!"

"Yeah!" the other two cheered in agreement, as they got up from their seats and got ready to leave the house.

"But before we go, I just want to make a toast." Jackson suddenly announced, as he went over to the fridge and took out three bottles of cola. Handing the other two to his friends, the demo expert raised his bottle and said, "To our friend Daniel, may he enjoy he final hours of freedom because once that ring goes on it's all over!"

The other two men just laughed at their friend's comment, before they took a big chug of their drinks and proceeded to exit the suburban home for a day of excitement and fun. But while the groom was about to spend time with his group, the bride to be was already enjoying her time in a city which she now called home.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

The sun was now high in the sky as the Boardwalk District of New Plymouth was now crowded with people, as the daily lunch time rush was now well under way. Just like the name suggested, the Boardwalk District was dominated by a massive Boardwalk which stretched several miles along the coast line and was home to a large number of restaurants, cafes and hotels. There was even a small amusement park which had been built near the very end of the Boardwalk and was made up to look like the parks which were found on Earth centuries ago.

But the main draw to the area were the many restaurants which could have been found and coupled with the calming atmosphere of the seafront, it was no real surprise that the Boardwalk District was one of the more popular areas in New Plymouth with both locals and visitors alike. Interestingly enough, it was here that a group of women had decided to spend a few hours before heading back out into the city. You see she was engaged to be married in a couple days and as in tradition, the bride to be would celebrate her new life with her friends before the big day. But while the members of her party celebrated, the bride's mind was elsewhere.

If one were to tell the former senator a few years ago that she would be forced into exile by the very government she once supported, Riyo would have just scoffed at the idea and just walk off on them. But here she was in that very same position, as the Republic she once knew no longer existed and she was forced to flee to the Terran colonies for safety. She was forced to leave everything and everyone she knew behind and going back to Pantora as out of the question, since she was informed by the UNSC command that there was a warrant out for her and a few other senators in the Empire. If she were to go home, she may never return. But it was not all doom and gloom for the young Pantoran female, as there was still some good things which had happened to her during this time.

What started as a chance encounter in a park one day on Mesa, soon turned into a infatuation for an individual she would soon fall in love with and she was delighted to learn that her feels were being returned. But it just months ago that the then senator soon realize just how much the Terran loved when he asked for her hand in marriage. To which she gleefully said yes. Now she was just two days away from being Mrs. Riyo Stepson and even though she had no regrets about her decision to marry Daniel, it was still a bitter sweet happiness.

Riyo had not heard anything from her family when the Empire came into being, then again she had not heard anything from them when she messaged them to contact her the same night Daniel proposed to her. Her family was not too pleased when she told them she was dating a Terran, let alone one who was a soldier. In their mind, Riyo was marrying beneath her station and did not even bother to learn about the young man the senator was so in love with. But now she was getting married to him and Riyo did not feel right knowing that her family was not going to be there on her wedding day.

"Are you alright?" a voice broke the Pantoran out of her self imposed stupor.

"Wha..? Oh I'm fine." Riyo replied quickly, as she sifted her attention to the bowl of salad that was before her. "I guess I'm not as hungry as I thought I would be."

"You sure?" Mary asked her friend. "Because you're getting the same look Daniel gets when he has a lot on his mind."

"Really?" the Pantoran asked curiously, unsure if Mary's statement was a good thing or not.

"Yep, you two have been spending a lot of time together since he left the corp." Mary replied. "So what's on your mind?"

"It's nothing." Riyo replied, "It's just that… somehow… I don't know."

"You're not getting second thoughts, are you?" Ahsoka asked her friend, as she joined in on the conversation.

"No no, it's not that." The former senator replied. "I love Daniel and I want to marry him."

"Then what is it?" The Spartan IV asked.

"It's just that…. well…" she took a deep breath and began to explain. "My family. They were not very supportive about my relationship with Daniel when I first told them about us."

"But aren't they still on Pantora?" Mary asked, "If so they why do you even care about what they think? You love Daniel and you want to marry him, why do you care what they thought about him?"

"I… I really don't know….." The young woman replied, as she looked down at her cup of green tea which sat on the table before her. "I guess this is not the way I was hoping things would turn out."

"Riyo… are you sure you are not getting second thoughts about the wedding?" Mary asked with a hint of worry in her voice, if Riyo called it off, she was not sure how Daniel would take it.

"No…" the Pantoran replied, "I guess I was just hoping that by the time the wedding came, they would have changed the way they saw things. Now I don't even know if they are alive or not."

An awkward silence soon filled the table where the three women sat, as Riyo's words sank in. It was common knowledge that the Empire had begun to subjugate a number of planets which were within their territory and Pantora was no different. It was difficult to receive any reliable information out of Imperial space, but the last anyone had heard was that the Empire was setting up a special administrative on Pantora after an apparent "accident" had result in the death of the Moon's government.

Obviously these recent events had a strong effect on Riyo, but this was the first time anyone outside her relationship with Daniel had seen the young woman vent her feelings like this. A look of concern soon formed on the faces of the other two women. "Riyo, do you want to go back to our Hotel room for the rest of the evening?" Mary asked her friend, unsure of just where things would be going.

"No… I'm fine." Riyo replied, as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "Today is a day for fun! I am getting married to the most wonderful man I have ever met and my friends are here with me to have a good time."

"So what are you saying?" Ahsoka asked.

"I'm saying that after lunch, why don't we go to that amusement park and spend the rest of the evening there?" the former senator asked with a mischievous grin forming on her face. The other two women cheered and laughed in agreement, as they settled down to enjoy their meals.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

Night had finally fallen over New Plymouth and while most of the city's residents were getting ready to head home for the night, many began to flock to the many districts which played host the city's night life. One such area was known as the Cedar Hill district and it was home to some of New Plymouth's best night clubs, sport bars, grill houses, and Jamal's Bar and Grill was no different. Opened and owned by a former member Worth Colonial Defense Force, Jamal's had earned a reputation for serving some of the best burgers and the coldest beers in the city and it was a reputation the owner was quite proud of.

Normally Jamal's would be packed from when it opened at five in the evening to whenever the owner decided to closed it, which was usually early hours in the morning. But tonight Jamal's was closed to the public, as it would be playing host to a bachelor party being put on for one of Jamal's loyal customers, who himself was engaged in scandalous laughter as he and his friends exchanged stories and dirty jokes.

By this point in the evening the three Spartans had been joined by a few of Daniel's friends which he had made since he arrived in the city all those years ago. Interestingly, Jedi masters Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi were also present at the party, as they had also formed a friendship with the Spartan who fought along side them during the evacuation of the Jedi Temple. To say that the two Jedi were both shocked and highly amused by what they were seeing, would have been a correct assumption to make.

"Let's hear it for the future Mister Chuchi!" Jackson suddenly announced, as he hugged if friend from behind with a drink in his had. An action which caused the assembled group to cheer loudly. "Cause in few hours, his sorry ass is going to belong to that wife of his!" The crowd just laughed even more, as they took a big chug out of their beer mugs and cheered.

"And he is going to marry Senator Chuchi." The elder jedi commented, as both he and Anakin stood in a corner and watch the festivities from a "safe" distance.

"Well from what I heard Padme say, apparently he makes Chuchi laugh." The younger jedi replied, as he watched as Daniel himself wolf down another hamburger. "From what I have been able to learn, this is actually some kind of a tradition among Terran culture."

"So getting intoxicated, acting wildly for no reason and making your friend feel as if his life is about to come to an end, is apart of this…. Ritual?" Obi Wan asked with a rather curious expression forming on his bearded face."

"And yet they were able to see Palpatine's true nature when we were not able to." Anakin said with a heavy sigh, as both he and his former master began to feel a bit depressed.

"Okay guys, hold on! I got something to show ya!" Raymond suddenly announced, as he held a small data crystal in his hand.

"What you got there?" Daniel asked, as the group turned their attention to the Spartan IV.

"When Trinity Team first formed, we all did these videos to introduce ourselves as sort…. And this one is Daniel's."

"Oh boy…." Daniel said as he bowed his head embarrassment, just as Ray placed crystal into the holoprojector and the recording began to play….

"_Boom….. head shot."_

_**~Meet the Sniper~**_

"_Sniping is a good job!" _the holographic image of a young Daniel posing with a sniper rifle stated, as the rest of the room watched on in amusement _"It's challenging work, your outdoors, lots of travel sometimes involved, but you'll never be bored. _Because as long there is one person who is more important than everyone else, there is always going to be a need for someone to take them out."

'_Dad, dad, I'm not a hired gun, I'm a sniper….." _The young said as he stared into another projector. _" well one is a profession and the other is a sign mental illness!"_

"_I'll be honest… my parents were none too thrilled with my career choice….."_

"_I think that guy spotted me…." _Daniel commented as he hid in a house and peered through his gun sight._ (Gunshots) "Yep, Yep he did!"_

"_You know it's one thing to shoot up a target in a hope to kill the enemy, but Snipers, we have standards! Be polite, be efficient, and be ready to kill every one you meet." (BANG!)_

Roaring laughter erupted from the file finally came to an end, minus Daniel who had turned a deep shade of red by this point. "Well when you're young and you're dumb." The Spartan muttered.

"Well we all do things we regret later on in life, Beast." Raymond replied, as he walked up to his friend. "But one thing you will never regret, is marrying the one you love and there is no better feeling of knowing that you have found the one that loves you back."

"Thanks, Ray." Daniel replied. "But I have to admit, I will miss running with the team."

"Well trust me, you will not regret leaving." The elder Spartan said, before he raised his beer mug and shouted, "To my friend, Beast! May he and his future bride have a long and happy life together!"

Another loud round of cheers rang out through the sports bar, as the group once again congratulated the groom to be. The party itself continued on late into the night and although Daniel was very grateful for what his friends had put together, he decided that now would be a good time for him to slip away for a bit and get some fresh air.

The night air was cool and the streets by this point were not as crowded as they were a few hours prior, but there was still enough people around to not make the area feel deserted. As Daniel stood alone outside of the bar, he could not help but to think about how his life lead him to this point.

In his youth growing up on the island of Trinidad, Daniel never had much luck when it came to relationships. They usually didn't last very long and would normally end with him feeling more dejected than anything, eventually he had reached a point where he no longer cared about investing in a long term relationship which lead to a string of one night stands, which only came to an end when he joined the Spartan corp. After becoming a Spartan though, Daniel largely kept to himself and would turn down any offers to socialize with others.

But then came the day when he met a certain Blue skinned senator and his life was never the same. What started as a friendship so became a serious relationship, much to the Spartan's surprise and even more so since Riyo was not human. But for some reason being around her made him feel happy and complete, so much so that he decided to take a risk and asked Riyo to marry him. Now here he was just hours away from making one of the biggest change in his life and although he had tried to convince himself that he wasn't, Daniel was more than a bit nervous.

What if things didn't work out between him and Riyo? What if Riyo decided to end things one day and leave, how would he even be able to cope if she did? Would he be the one to leave if things head south? What about if they had kids, would they be able to have kids? Would he be a good parent? All these questions and many more swam through the Spartan's mind, but answers could not be found. The only way he would ever know what would happen, was when it happened and maybe it was better this way. Who knew just what the future will hold, but all Daniel could do right now was hope for the best. He loved Riyo and would soon have her as his wife, he just hoped that he could make her as happy as she had made him.

"Hey Danny, you out here?" Jackson's voice filled Daniel's ear, as his friend stuck his head out the bar door and called out to him. "You better get in here and open your gifts."

"Alright, coming now." The future groom replied, as he sighed heavily and went back into the festivities.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

The date of the wedding had finally arrived and soon, history would be made when a Spartan IV married an non-human. This was something which had never happened before in human history and it was an event which many in the Terran Union were watching very closely. For some this wedding was a symbol of the alliance which had been created between the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxies, as these two persons would soon be in an alliance of their own, joined in holy matrimony. But for those who were actually involved in the ceremony itself, it was just a wedding between two people who loved each other.

The wedding would be taking place in an undisclosed location outside of New Plymouth, far away from the prying eyes of anyone who wanted to get a glimpse of the new couple. This was going to be a private and simple affair, there was no way that this was going to be turned into a media circus. The location in question was in fact one of the many islands which were located east of the city, far away from anyone who would "accidentally" stumble in on the ceremony. Those who had been invited were ferried to the island via hovercrafts which were provided by the CDF, a gift of sorts from Admiral Morrison who also provided security for the venue.

A large white tent had been set up near one of the beaches on the island, this was where the reception would be held while the wedding itself would be on the beach's sandy shore. But while the guest were starting to arrive, there was one individual who was still preparing herself for what was to come.

In one of the smaller tents which had been set up, Riyo stood in front of a large mirror and gave herself one final look over. The former senator was now dressed in simple yet elegant, strapless white gown with gold trim, which hugged every major feature of her build and flowed all the way down to her feet. Her hair flowed freely down to her lower back and swayed ever so gently every time she would move, while around her neck, was a pendant which Daniel had given her on their one year anniversary together. Now she was just minutes away from marrying who she saw as the most wonderful individual she had ever met, yet what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, the former senator could not help but to feel lonely

Once again the realization that her family was not there to celebrate with her, began to set in and as much as she tried, Riyo could not shake the feeling that she was all alone. Her family was not there to be with her and she did not even know if they were still alive or not, or even if the Empire had decided to use them as examples. She dared not wonder just what could have been there ultimate fate. But as the former senator continued to stare at her reflection in the mirror, she began to wonder if she was truly alone after all.

It was true her family was not here, but many of her friends were and they could not be any happier for Riyo. Daniel had been very supportive ever since she was forced to flee with the Jedi on Coruscant and was her shoulder to lean on when she felt sad or lonely. Daniel was her rock, he would soon be her husband and if the fates were truly kind, she would be able to start a family with him. It was then at that moment that Riyo could feel as if a huge weight had been lifted off her chest and for the first time in months, she felt as if she could truly be happy with her new life.

"Riyo…. Are you ready?" a voice broke the bride to be out of her meditation and upon looking Riyo could see her young friend Ahsoka Tano standing near the tent's entrance. She was dressed in a maroon colored dress which hugged her figure and had long white gloves which went up to her elbows. Riyo still found it odd to see her friend dressed in such away, but then again the Pantoran saw it as another sign that things had certainly changed. "Everyone is waiting."

"I guess it' now or never is it?" Riyo replied, as she picked up her bouquet of flowers and made her way out of the tent for what could be the longest walk of her life.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

The sun shown brilliantly that day, as the air was filled with the sent and the sound of the near by ocean. The pews were filled with persons from all walks of life, as they were there to celebrate the union of two persons which they knew and wish them all he best in their new life together. At the front of the assembly, the priest stood with a bible in her hand and waited for her role to come into play, while two rather large individuals waited eagerly for the main event to happen. "Nervous, Danny?" Jackson asked his friend, as he stood with his best friend.

"What do you think?" Daniel replied, not even bothering to look at his best man.

"I think you're going to need a new tuxedo before the day is out." The Spartan replied, noting that his friend was sweating a lot. Daniel just ignored his friend as the music began to play and all eyes turned to see the beautiful bride slowly walk up the aisle.

"She beautiful, man." Jackson said with an awestruck expression forming on his face, as he could not be helped to be entranced by Riyo's appearance. Daniel for his part just stood there wide eyed, as he too was taken aback by this vision of beauty that was making her way towards him. _'My god… she's beautiful….' _The super solder thought, just as the young woman came peered up at him with her amber tinted eyes, as a warm smile formed on her face.

They stared happily at each other for a few moments before the priest cleared her throat gain their attention and began to speak.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony….."

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**A/N:**__ Sorry if I burst your bubble if I didn't go into the actual wedding, but for the sake of the chapter I thought it would be best that if I didn't. Either way I'm sorry for the long delay in posting but if you have been following me then you would know why this is so. _

_Also, I have become a contributor on a military blog so I will be working on article for that as well, meaning I won't be working on my works as much as I would. Plus my pc is on the blink again and I may end up having to buy a new one so if I don't update then it means I no longer have use of my computer. But anyway I hope you enjoyed this update and please leave a review. Until next time, Nightstalker out. _

_P.S. 10 points to whoever can guess what I made a reference to in this chapter _


	11. Guardian Shepherd

_**A/N: ** Hey everynone, I know it has been a while since you saw an update from me but some things happened in my life which were completely unexpected and unavoidable. Most notable my old PC dying on me, as well as doing 12 hour shifts at work. _

_Plus some other things which happened that I rather not go into detail, but I am back (sorta) and hopefully this chapter will be to your liking. So with out further ado... on o the story..._

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**~United Nations Space Command Fleet Command Worth~**_

_**~Priority One message to all availible UNSC vessels~**_

_At 2200 hours Earth Standard Time, our Embassy on the Republic Capital Coruscant came under attack by elements of the Grand Army of the Republic under orders of Chancellor Palpatine. As a result of this unprovoked act of aggression against the civilian staff of our Embassy, a state of war now exist between the Galactic Republic and the Terran Union government. _

_As a result, all UNSC vessels currently en route back towards the Miliky Way galaxy, are to immediately revrese course and head towards the boarder region between our two governments and wait for further instructions. As of this moment, all ships are concidered to be expendable._

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

**_Date: _**_November 15__th__, 2609 _

**_Location: _**_Somewhere on the Terran-Republic Boarder_

Captain Edmonds could not even remember when last she had gotten a good nights sleep, as the commanding officer of the Heavy Destroyer UNSC Alleyne stood within the vessel's command and control center digested all the information which had been coming in.

The last few days had been especially hectic, as the destroyer had been placed on high alert when news about the siege taking place on Coruscant between UNSC and Republic forces reached the vessel. It was not a stretch to say that Edmonds and her crew were shocked by this development, especially when they learned that the Reach was being deployed to assist the isolated marines in the Republic captital. Edmonds thought that her vessel would be called upon to join the task force which was being formed to head towards Coruscant, but that was not the case.

Instead the Alleyne, as well as a number of other vessels, had been ordered into Republic space to take part in a mission which had the code name _Operation: Guardian Shepard. _

You see even though most of the Jedi Order were present on Coruscant, there were still a large number of them scattered across the galaxy. Many of whom who were now on the run from the very same troops they had once commanded, or were now in hinding with no way of making it friendly space. As a result the UNSC command on Worth had hastily assembled ships and Marine units who's sole purpose would be to rescue these isolated Jedi, hence Guardian Shepard was born.

But for now all Edmonds and her crew could do right now was hold their position near the boarder and basically wait for a possible Jedi to call out for help. Or at the very least, search for any Republic vessels that may be attempting to cross over into Terran space, to which the Jacob Keys-class destroyer was more than capable of holding its own against one of the Republic's Ventnor-class warships.

It had now been thirty six hours since the Alleyne had crossed into Republic space and the destroyer had yet to detect any distress becons or even an Republic vessel. Though they did managed to give some would be smugglers a good scare when they stumbled across their vessel hiding in a comet tail. But so far the Alleyne's current assignment had been rather quiet, weather that was either a good thing or not had yet to be determined.

The long hours had certainly taken its toll on the destroyer's crew and their commanding officer. So far Edmonds had been surviving on a mixture of strong coffee and energy bars, though she had taken a couple quick naps for when the urge to sleep just became too much. It was not as if she did not have competent officers under her command, as a matter a fact Edmonds had the up most confidence of her crew. It was just that the commanding officer did not want to be off the bridge if something were to happen.

"Captain, I strongly advise that you get some rest." a male voice filled Edmond's ear, as the captain soon found herself looking at the holographic image of a young man dressed in armor which as worn by Marines during the Covenant war.

"Oh, Ian." Edmonds replied. "I'm fine."

"No you are not, sir." the destroyer's resident artificial intelligence replied, as he flickered in the table. "You have not gotten any sleep in the last eighteen hours, I really advise that you at least try to get some sleep."

"Ian, need I not remind you that we are in a satae of war." the woman countered.

"All the more reason why you should get some rest." Ian replied, "Lack of sleep can impair judgement and decision making."

Too exhausted to continue the argument, the captain did have to concede to the fact that a she could do with some much needed sleep. She knew very well that her command crew could hold things downs when she was off the bridge, plus she knew that they would call her if anything were to happen in her absense.

"Very well, you win." Edmonds replied, all be with with a defeated and exhausted tone in her voice. "Inform Simmons that he has the bridge and I will be retiring to my quarters for the evening."

"Very good sir, I wil- Commander, I am detecting a distress signal." the Artificial Intelligence suddenly announced, the expression on hid face quickly changing as his holographic form flashed brightly.

"Can you determine the source?"Edmonds asked curiously, her focus shifting away from her bed and towards the sudden development. A few moments passed, as Ian began to scan the signal he was getting. His artificial mind going over the information which he was reciving, while cross checking it with the star charts the UNSC had gained during their time in the Andromeda Galaxy.

"Sir, it's coming from the Felucia system, but..."

"But...?" Edmond's asked, unsure of just what the A.I. was about to say.

"The signal matches those which are used by CBMI." Ian announced, catching he UNSC officer by surprise.

"CBMI?" the destroyer captain said with a puzzled expression on her face. Although it had been long rumored within the UNSC that CBMI had been operating vessels through out Andromeda for years, such a claim had never been proven. Now though it looked as if one CBMI agent was in distress and needed assistance. "How long will it take us reach Felucia?"

"If we jump to slip space now, seven hours."

Edmonds just sighed heavily as she stared at the holographic images being shown to her, multipule scenarios starting play out in her mind of just what could be waiting for her and her crew if they were to head deeper into Republic space. But in the end, Edmonds knew just what needed to be done.

"All hands, yellow alert!" the captain suddenly announced, as she pressed a button which carried her voice through out the vessel. "Prepare for Slip Space jump, this is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill!"

With that announcement the entire destroyer came to life with activity, as the vessel's crew prepared themselves for what could be possible action against an enemy force. In the Alleyne's hanger bay, the teams which were assigned to this area were busily securing the destroy's compliment of Pelican dropships and the ammunition which they would normally carry into combat if needed. While fire teams got their fire fighting equipment out of their lockers and assembled at key areas of the ship, so as to effectively respond to any emergencies which my occur during the course of their mission.

At the frontof the vessel which housed the Alleyne's MAC can, the gun crews loaded the massive weapon systemswith five hundred ton tungusten rounds, as the gun itself was charged up and readied just incase the destroyer were to enter a combat zone. While the Alleyne's compliment of Marines, threw on their armor and posted themselves at key areas of the ship. Their rifles and pistols loaded and at their sides, as the marines called back on their training for what might lay ahead. In all this process was completed in under five minutes and with all hands at the ready, the Alleyne's lurched forward as it entered slip space, and vanished.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_{ Felucia Star System, several hours later } _

The air was still thick with the sent smoke and burnt metal, while the corridors of the now stricken Star Destroyer were now littered with the bodies of numerous dead clone troopers who floated effortlessly within the vessel's crippled hull. It was just hours ago that this once proud vessel of the Grand Army of the Republic bore witness to a sight which many could have never believed as a number of Clone Troopers rebelled against their brothers in an attempt to save their commander. The resulting mutiny which took place saw clone fighting clones, as all levels of the ship broke out into massive fire fights between those who were loyal to Chancellor Palpatine, and those who refused to carry out his orders.

Unfortunately it would be very same mutiny which would see the destruction of the vessel's crew, as an explosion ripped through the engine room and crippled the ship. In a panic, those who had survived attempted to save themselves by evacuating the ship with what ever lifepods could be found. But this action turned out to be fatal, as many of the pods were destroyed when they flew into the debris field which had been created by the explosion. While others were exposed to leathal amounts of radiation when the star destroyer suddenly turned brought its last funtioning engine into their flight path. There was no doubt that those on board died a slow and horrible death.

The Star Destroyer was now adrift and helpless, numerous decks were now exposed to the vacuum of space and most of its crew dead. But yet in this spectacle of death and destrction, life still existed on the dying ship and now it was trying to call for help.

Jedi Master Aalya Secura sat by herself in what was once the command and control deck for the Venator-class star destroyer and stared out into the blackness of space. As if the Twi'lek was searching for an answer to the madness which she had witnessed, but nothing had yet to come. Aalya and her fellow Jedi were warned about the possible betrayal by their supposedly loyal clone troopers, but she still could not believe her own troops would turn on her so easily. But not all of them did and stood by her side in the hours after Order 66 was given, Aalya did not know just why those particular troopers remained loyal to her, but it was a decision which ended up costing them their lives.

But their sacrifice ensured not only her survival, but the survival of those who the Twi'lek was sent to save.

"Master Secura..." a young voice broke the Jedi out of her meditation, only to find one of the young children which were under her care, standinf by her side with a curious expression her face. "Master Secura... what are you looking for?" the young girl asked, looking up at her mentor."

"I'm... I'm just looking out help to come." the blue skinned jedi replied, peering down at the young child.

"Is help coming?" the young girl asked, her deep, purple eyes still looking up with a hopeful expression.

"They are coming Elli." Aalya replied, using the child's name. "Now you should go back to the others and rest. You do not want to be tired when help arrives."

"Will we be going home?" the human girl asked again, causing the elder woman to hesitate before she replied. "We'll go home."

Feeling content with her reply Elli made her way back towards the rest of her group, leaving the Twi'lek alone with her thoughts and ponder just how she and the younglings unfrt her care ended up in this situation.

Not all Jedi were able to make it back to the temple on Coruscant when it became clear that Palpatine was secretly working against them. In fact sme of them had decided to stay with the Clone Army so as to not raise any suspicion as to why the Jedi had decided to gather in the Republic Capital. For Master Secura her reason for not being on Coruscant was more complex, as she was escorting a group of Padawans for what was supposed to be a Jedi training exercise. But of course this was all just a ruse, as her real objective what to get this group of Jedi in training to safety in Terran Space.

The plan wasthar they were to be left on a planet in the Felucia system for "Training", when in reality they would go into hinding until the Terran's CBMI could collect them. But Palpatine had activated Order 66 before the star destroyer could arrive at its destination and the clone crew immediately turned on the Jedi on board. But the ship's command cew, who themselves were not clones, as well as a few others who refused to carry out the orders, rallied with Master Secura and fought along side the Jedi Master to keep the children under her care safe. But the resulting battle saw the command staff making the ultimate sacrifice to keep the jedi and her young wards alive, but they were alive in a dead ship and if help did not come soon... Secura tried not to allow those thoughts to cloud her mind.

Now all the Twi'Lek could do was wait for help to arrive, and hope it would not come in the form of Republic vessels. There was not power left on the ship, just enough to keep the life support systems and artificial gravity on the command bridge active, but that was about it. As everything else, like much of the ship, were dead and there was really no telling just how much time they themselves had, before life support eventually failed.

Suddenly bright flash caught the Jedi's attention out of the corner of her eye and upon investigation, Master Secura saw the hulking mass that was a UNSC vessel emerge from slip space. Never once did the Jedi thought she would be so happy to see the Terrans or their "ugly" vessels appear, but concidering everything that had happened, they were certaily a sight for sore eyes. Then as if on cue, the small trasmitter which was given to her by the Terran Agent known as "Roberts" suddenly began to chirp. Curious, Secura took it out and pressed on the green button...

"_This is Captain Edmonds of the UNSC Alleyne, to whom do I have the pleasue of speaking to?" _a female voice spoke through the device.

"Um... this is Jedi Master Aalya Secura." the Twi'lek replied, though happy that it were the Terrans who found her first, the Jedi was still unsure as to why this vessel appeared and not the one which was supposed to meet them at their destination.

Meanwhile on the Heavy Destroyer, the captain was a bit crossed on why a jedi would be using a CBMI issued transmiter to communicate. But now was not the time to be asking questions, as she and her vessel were deep inside Republic space and from the reports they had been receiving while en route, things were getting serious by the hour. Shrugging off the initial shock of her Jedi discovery, Edmonds replied "Master Secura... what is your current situation?"

"I... I'm not sure." the Twi'lek replied, as she began to look over the consoles before her. "I'm unable to get any readings from the ship's computer."

"Captain... scans shows that the vessel has little to no power." Ian informed Edmonds, as the Destroyer came closer to the crippled Republic warship.

"What about life signs?" the UNSC officer asked the AI.

"I am only picking up just over a dozen life signs on the command bridge." Ian replied.

"Master Secura, are you alone on the bridge?"

"_No... I am not" _The Jedi's voice spoke through the ship's speakers. "_I am in the company of a group of young Padawans with me. We were on our way to the Felucia system, but the clones turned on us before we could reach our destination." _

'Obviously...' Edmonds thought to herself, before her focus soon turned to the task of actually rescuing the Jedi and her group from the stricken vessel. From what the scan had revealed, the Star Destroyer was sevearly damaged and a number of decks were now exposed to space, meaning that using the vessels's hanger bay was out of the question. There was really no telling if the vessel would be safe for a boarding party to go through it, especially since they now had to deal with a group of youngsters who now needed to be rescued.

It was then that an idea came to Edmonds' mind, as she soon remembered that her vessel had a rather unique trait which could help in the rescue operation. "Ian, do you think it would be possible to manuver this ship along side the command bridge of that star destroyer?"

The artificial intelligence soon realized what the captain was planning to do as he replied, "I am already alerting medical teams to stand by near the breaching lock."

"Very good. Helm, bring us along side the vessel's command bridge."Edmonds ordered, as she began to focus closely to the holograpgic images being displayed before her.

Meanwhile in space, the Alleyne's engines rumbled to life as the heavy destroyer slowly moved forward and closed the distance between it self and the crippled Republic vessel. Soon the destroyer's maneuvering thrusters came into play, as the Alleyne positioned itself along side the star destroyer and was perfectly aligned with the other vessel's bridge. Now it was time to employ one of the Jacob Keys-class Destroyer's more unique traits.

Suddenly a telescopic tube almost thirty-five feet in diamiter, emerged from the Alleyne's hull where one of the main airlocks were located and slowly closed the gap between it and the other vessel's bridge. A loud thud on the star destroyer's bridge signaled that both vessels were now connected, as Master Secura and the children stood together and waited to see what would happen next.

"Captain, breach tube has successfully attached itself to the vessel's hull." one of the Alleyne's bridge crew announced.

"Master Secura, are you still with us?" Edmonds asked, as she looked on at the holographic images of the her vessel and the Jedi's ship displayed before her.

"We... are fine." the Twi'lek replied, as she was taken aback by the sight of the Terran warship hovering so close to her own.

"We've got engineers working on cutting through the hull." the Terran captain replied, "They say it will take some time to cut."

"Understood, We'll be ready move as soon as you are through." Secura replied, her eyes still fixed on the Terran vessel outside.

_'Now lets hope that we can get out of here before any uninvited guest arrive'_ Edmonds thought to herself, as she knew that the longer it took for them to rescue the Jedi, the more likely the chance that the Republic could discover them.

Long minutes passed, as the Alleyne's engineers continued to cut through the Star Destroyer's hull. Normally when breaching an enemy vessel explosives would have been used, but because a secondary explosion could prove to be catastrophic, the only alternitive was to cut through by hand. A task made even harder due to the surprising thickness of the Star Destroyer's bridge. But eventually the plasma cutters did their job and were able to cut through. Upon seeing that the Terran crew were close, Master Secura gathered the children and had them line up. Then with a loud bang, followed by a thud, a section of the hull fell to the floor and the image of a man in what looked like military armor appeared in the newly formed breach.

"Master Secura I presume?" the man asked, as he and a few others came through and secured the bridge. The Jedi nodded with a small smile forming on her lips, as for the first time in as many days, Master Secura could feel a warm sense of relief flow over her body. The younglings were now safe and soon they would be in Terran controlled space and far away from Palpatine's influence. But that feeling of security was short lived, as something in the force struck the blue Jedi like a bolt of Force Lighting.

Her fears were soon confirmed, as three Republic vessels suddenly came out of hyper space and began to close in on their position. "Everyone, move NOW!" the Terran crewman bellowed, just as the three new ships began to open fire.

"Looks like our new friends are not in the mood to talk!" Ian commented, as the Destroyer lurched from the energy bolts struck its exposed hull. "Captain, away team have confirmed that Master Secura and her party have been successfully evacuated and are on board.!"

"Good! Detach breaching tube and get us the hell out of here!" Edmonds bellowed, just as her vessel once again rocked violently due to the enemy fire.

Just as the captain had ordered, the teloscopic tube linking the two vessels detached and slowly retracted back into the destroyer. Just as numerous bolts of energy struck the unprotected hull of the wounded Republic vessel, tearing apart the ship with little to no effort. The resulting explosion rocking the Alleyne violently and causing some of the destroyer's systems to short out.

"Captain, republic vessels are closing in, they are blocking our path!" Ian informed, as his image flickered on his projector.

"Then I guess we're gonna have to fight our way out!" Edmonds replied, "Bring MACs online, target the cloest enemy vessel!"

As the Republic onslought continued, the Alleyne's primary weapons system began to charge up. As the five hundred ton round was loaded into the huge gun. Moments later a thunderous explosion could be heard through out the destroyer, as the tungusten round was fired and shot towards its target.

The UNSC's aim was dead on, as the projectile struck the lead enemy ship head on, passing through the vessel's shielding as if it did not exist, before it slammed head long into it's hanger bay. The resulting explosions crippling the ship, as the vessel soon became dead in space. But the other two Republic vessels were not phased by the loss, as the began to maneuver in an attempt to out flank the Terran vessel and deployed fighters.

"Enemy fighters inbound!"

"Activate defense grid!" Edmonds ordered. "I want those bastards out of my sky! Ian, can we jump into slipspace?"

"In two minutes." the AI responded. "That last barage knocked out my nav! It's gonna take a moment to reboot!"

"Well hurry up!"

Within moments, the Alleyne's AAA batteries came to life and began to spray hot rounds at the incoming fighters. The Clone pilots didn't stand a chance, as they were litterally torne apart by the destroyer's awesome firepower. But the combined might of the two remaining enemy ships were starting to take its toll on the Alleyne's shielding.

"We cant take much more of this!" Edmonds muttered. "Ian, we need to get out of here now!"

"Slip space back on line!" Ian announced, "setting course back to UNSC space!"

"Helm, get us the hell out of here!"

As the Republic vessels continued to fire and close in, the Alleyne's engines flared up and propelled the million plus ton vessel away from the enemy ships. Moments later a slip space rupture appeared and before the Rebuplic ships knew what was going on, the Alleyne had made its escape and was now well on its way back to friendly space. But not before the vessel had deployed two nuclear mines, which proceeded to latch on to the hostlie vessels. The result being the sudden creation of two new suns where the Republic once existed, before they disappeared forever almost as quickly as they came into exsstence.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_{ Worth System. Three days later... } _

As almost as quickly as it stated, it had ended. The Terran-Republic war, though only lasting just over a week, would have lasting effects as the Republic had now been replaced with the Galactic Empire. While the Terran Union government was now tasked with securing not only their colonies in Andromeda, but the numerous governments which had now allied with this government which was from another galaxy.

The Space around the Terran colonies were now filled with hundreds of UNSC and Confederacy vessels, many of which bore scars from their encounters with the Rebulic fleet and were now in the process of being repaired. It was within this collage of starships, that one would have found the Alleyne, which was now docked along side a repair barge and had numerous robotic arms and EVAt teams working on its hull. The Destroyer's encouter with the Republic warships though brief, had damaged some of the vessel's systems and they needed to be repaired before the Alleyne could make the trip back to the Milky Way Galaxy.

With her vessel currently undergoing repairs and not expected to be ready for another seventy-two hours, Captain Edmonds thought now would have been a good time to give her crew some and herself, some much needed down time. But for Edmonds, she would have to wait just a little while longer, as she still had to oversee the work which was being done to her vessel. Not to mention that once they got back to the Milky Way, the Alleyne would head towards Reach for a much needed overhaul before returning to Andromeda. The facilities to do such work did not exist in the Worth System. At least not yet anyway.

"Excuse me, but are you Captain Edmonds?" a new voice suddenly said and upon investigation, Edmonds soon found herself in the company of the very same Jedi she and her crew had rescued just days before.

"Master Secura." the officer replied, surprised by the Jedi's presence. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard that your vessel was being repaired at this... repair barge?" the Twi'Lek replied, as she was still unfamiliar with many of the UNSC's vessel designs and types. "And I just wanted to thank you for saving me and the young ones before your vessel returns to your home galaxy."

"Well, thank you. But I'm just happy we were able to get out of there when we did." Edmonds replied. But it was at that point that the Terran captain noticed that the Jedi had an odd expression on her blue face. "Is something wrong?"

"No... I'm fine." Master Secura lied, knowing very well that recent events had not only placed a mental strain on herself, but the entire Jedi order.

"Are you sure?"the captain asked, "Because from what I have heard from the rumor mill, the Jedi are now outlaws in the Republic?"

"Empire..." the Jedi said in a somber tone. "It's an empire now, and we have been blamed for the fall of the Republic."

Edmonds could see that the Jedi was clearly trying to avoid talking about what had happened over the last few days and a part of her really wanted to help her. But the officer knew that sometimes some people just wanted to move on and not dwell on the negitive things which had happen to them. "You know I have some free time on my hands, you want to join me in the mess hall and talk?"

"Thank you for the offer, but I have to return to the council back on Worth." the Jedi Master replied. "I just wanted to thank you personally."

"Oh, well... you're welcome." Edmonds replied, before the Twi'lek nodded on return and made her way off the observation deck.

_'I guess what I head about the Jedi were true.' _Edmonds thought, as she saw the Jedi leave. She had heard rumors that the UNSC was planning to have the Jedi see specialist to help them deal with the recent traumatic events which had occurred. Would these specialist be able to help these people, Edmonds could not say, but much like her wounded vessel, there was a lot of work to be done before either of them could fully function again.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**A/N: **And after such an looooooooooooooooong hiatus, there is your long awaited updade, now for some news._

_This could be my last update for this story for a little while, as I want to do other projects and not make this my primary project. So I will be focusing on completing Stargate: Guardians from now on, as well as starting new fics. I will list them later on my profile to stay tuned. But from time to time I will continue to update this one, just not as often as you may have liked._

_Until next time, Nightstalker signing off..._


	12. File II: Saxson Combat Support Vehicle

_*****United Nations Space Command Military Database*****_

_***** Accessing*****_

_*****Request***: **__Information into the operational history of the M-111 "Saxson" Combat Support Vehicle._

_*****Searching... Searching... Seaeching...*****_

_*****Request Granted, Accessing File No. UNSCA-0111*****_

_**~~ M-111 Combat Support Vehicle~~**_

**_Manufacture: _**_Oshkosh Automotive Industries_

**_Operators: _**_United Nations Space Command (Army, Marine Corp. Colonial Defense Force) _

_ Kiros Regiment_

_ Royal Naboo Defense Force_

_ Tatooine Planetary Authority (Post Andromeda War) _

_**~Technical Specifications~**_

**_Lenght: _**_26ft., 11 inches._

**_Width: _**_9ft._

**_Height: _**_9ft., 8inches_

**_Crew: _**_Varies. (Usually 2)_

**_Passengers:_**_ Varies_

**_Armor: _**_9inch composite _

**_Armorments: _**_105mm Recoilless Rifle_

_ 102mm Rotary Cannon _

_ M8 Quadmount _

_ HEMR-90_

**_Secondary Armorments: _**_50 cal. Machine Guns_

**_Engine: _**_Kamaz BD-450 producing 450 break horse power_

**_Top Speed: _**_85 miles per hour_

**_Suspension: _**_6x6, 8x4, 8x8_

_**~Backround~**_

_Development of the M-111 began in the years following the end of the Covenant War, with the ground forces of the UNSC in need of an vehicle which could not only be used transport troops into combat, but could also provide heavy weapons support as well. Such request came as many senior military officials remembers the conflicts which too place during both the Covenant War and the Insurectionist movement prior. What was needed was not only a capable of conducting operations in the field, but could also be used in an urban enviroment. _

_In 2571, Oshkosk Automotive Industries of Earth, place forward it's first design. OAI was an new comer to the defense industry at the time, as the company was mainly known for producing emergency vehicles, but managed to produce a sex wheel drive armored personnel carrier to the UNSC Army. In July of that year the vehicle, name the "Saxson" by Oshkosh engineers, was placed through its paces at Camp Knox, North America, where it proceeded to meet all the requirements set forth by the military. _

_But although the Saxson impressed the Marine Corp, the Army was not convinced that the 6x6 could not carry the fire power which they needed to support units in combat situations. Coupled with the fact that the Saxson what a wheeled vehicle anf the Army was hesident to deploy such a large vehicle which was not tracked. In response OAI developed two more prototypes, one being a 8x4 and the other being an 8x8. Soon afterwards the Colonial Defense Forces command began to take notice in the M-111 and saw its potential as an support vehicle which could be used by its units on numerous colonies. _

_In 2575, Federal Armory unvailed several weapon systems which had been developed for use on the Saxson. Is included a 105mm Recoilless Rifle which had an auto loading system, giving the wheeled vehicle the ability to provide an anti-heavy armor asset with infantry. As well as an 102mm rotary cannon which could also be used for anti armor, anti personnel and anti-air duties. In addition to this, a varriant known as the M-111E "Bison" was developed for combat engineering units. Which came equipped with a hydraulic front plow, as well as a number of attachments which could be installed depending on what was needed._

_**~Introduction and Deployment~**_

_After years of testing and development, the first batch of 1000 vehiles were delivered to the UNSC Army's 7__th__ Dragoon Guards, and the 173__rd__ Armord Regiment in 2580. Both units took delivery of the 8x8 darivitives of the Saxson which were armed with the 105mm rifles and the 102mm rotary cannon. These deliveries were followed up by the acquisition of 220 6x6 models by the Army's medical core to be used as ambulances. The following year saw the UNSC Marine Corps starting to receive their first vehicles, with the 1__st__ Light Armored Recon Battalion reciving 300 8x8s , while the 3__rd__ Assault Battalion reciving both 6x6 and 8x8 models. While the 14__th __Engineering Battalion recived their first Bisons to replace their current fleet D-22 Combat Engineering vehicles._

_In 2581, the Colonial Defense Forces began to take delivery of the 6x6 and 8x4 Saxsons, as well as 1000 Bisons to be used by their garrisons in the outer colonies and the recently established Worth Colonies in the Andromeda Galaxy. By 2599 2.1 million M-111s had be produced and delivered, but the Saxson would not get its first combat deployment in 2605, during the infamous Sentosa Rebellion, when elements of the UNSC Marines 22__nd__ Recon Battalion entered the destroyed city of New Sunderfield after Insurectionist artillery were hacked and forced to open fire on the Insurectionist strong hold. _

_In 2611, the Saxson was selected by the newlly formed Kiros Regiment to fulfil the security needs autonomous territory. With 400 6x6s being delivered by 2613 and a futher 150 8x4s being delivered by 2615 and 100 Bisons later that year. In wake of the failed invasion of Naboo by Imperial Forces in early 2635, the Royal Naboo Defense Force placed an order for 5500 Saxsons. In an attempt to replace their current inventory of M808B Scorpions MBTs which by the outbreak of the Andromeda War, were becoming more and more difficult to maintain. _

_It was also in 2635 that the Saxson got its baptism of fire, during the Ryloth Campaign, where M-111s engaged Imperial units at the Battle of 38 Easting. Where Saxsons equipped with Recoilless Rifles decimated Imperial lines and armor, as well as provided fire support for advancing infantry units. But it would be in the urban areas of the war in which the Saxsons came into their own, as the wheeled fighting vehicles could move move much faster and quieter on paved surfaces, when compared to the much larger Tanks and walkers. Saxsons also played a major roll during the Invaison of Imperial Center, as vehicles fitted with the 105mm Recoilless Rifles were used in the final push to seize the Imperial Palace. _

_Following the end of the Andromeda War, M-111s of the UNSC Army and Marine Corp were once again deployed to several Pro-Imperial Planets. Which had fallen into civil wars, as populations began to revolt and demand that the governments which were backed by the Empire, to step down and form new governing bodies. As a result, the Saxson units which were deployed became part of a new Peace Keeping force who would would be tasked with securing urban areas which have been designated as "Safe Zones" for refuges who were fleeing the fighting. The Saxson's design making it perfect to operate in the confined, urban areas where Tanks could not. So effective were these vehicles that some rebel and pro-imperial units began to refer to them as "Ghost Tanks", as Peace Keeping forces would use them to sneak into active combat areas to provide aid. _

_**~Variants~**_

_**M-111A 6x6: **Originally developed as the primary body style, the 6x6 is primarily used as a moble command post and field ambulances. _

_**M-111B 8x8: **Second version of the Saxson to be developed, can carry up to 12 Soldiers/Marines _

_ with all their equipment. They are also the primary variant used to mount most of the Saxson's weapon systems._

_**M-111C 8x4: **Developed for support roles behind the front lines, it is the only variant which does not come with all wheel drive. As only its rear 4 wheels recieves power form the engines, as are primarily operated by the Colonial Defense Force._

_**M-111E "Bison": **Combat Engineering Vehicle. _

_**~Primary Operators~**_

_**United Nations Space Command: **Army, Marine Corp, Colonial Defense Force_

_**Royal Naboo Defense Force: **Currently operates 1300 B models and 900 A models_

_**Royal Alderaan Security Forces:** 1200 B models, 900 A models_

_**Kiros Regiment: **800 B models, 200 Bisons_

_**Confederacy Standing Army: **17,000 B model, 2000, A models, 2000 C models, 900 Bisons_

_**Tatooine Planetary Authority: **500 Bisons donated by the TUG to assist in the development of the planet. _

_**~~End Of File~~**_

_**~Do you wish to contine?~ **_

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**A/N: **Yes I know it not the update you were all hoping for, but atleast now you know that I just did not abandon it. Now for an info dump: _

_A while back I mentioned that I was thinking about starting a Face Boof page so that all of you (who are interested anyway) could follow me and get updates into my daily life. As well as give you progress reports on future chaptures and possible ideas for future projects. As well as allowing you to gaet to know me a little better. Ask me questions if you want or even give me ideas. _

_Here's the link: Nightstalker-1152114021527499/?skip_nax_wizard=true _

_And I will start posting content as soon as I get it up and running. _

_As for those of you who are wondering when I will update my Guardians fic, dont worry I am working on it, just trying to move the story along without rushing it. So until next time, NIGHTSTALKER, OUT! _


	13. Orbital Drop Ahsoka

_**A/N: I LIIIIIIIIVEEEEE! **__sorry its been a while since I last updated but you know how real life can be these day. Had to finish up an article for , plus I have actually begun to build over my house so that takes up some time as well. But before you get mad at me, just remember I said I would not be updating as much as I normally would. _

_So again sorry for the delay and I hope you like this next installment. _

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_Orbital Drop Shock Troopers... _ Four worlds which many in the Andromeda Galaxy soon came to know of after the Terrans and their UNSC became known to thw wider population.

ODSTs were some of the most elite "ground forces" the United Nations Space Command had at their disposal, only second to the Spartan Corp and they had been an integral component of Humanity's war machine for centuries. First being used during the United Nations' campaign against Neo-Communist elements on Mars in the mid 22nd century, ODSTs would litterally drop from vessels in low orbit and into conflict zones where regular ground units could not reach without being seen. A concept which was not exactly new, since paratrooper units had existed on Earth centuries before.

During in Insurrectionist movement which had swept over Earth's colonies, ODSTs were used against many anti-Earth government groups on many outlying planets. But it was during the Conenant war that the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers earned almost mythical status, as they were sometimes the only military force which could hold the line against the Covenant onslaught. _New Jerusalem, Tribute, Viery, Cleveland_, these were just but a handful of battles in which the ODSTs fought for the survival of humanity. Against an enemy who showed no mercy in battle and brought humanity to the very brink.

After the war, the Orbital Drop Shock Trooper program, along with the rest of the UNSC, went into a bit of a slump as the new civilian government began to focus more on rebuilding the colonies which were lost during the conflict. The military was still getting funding to develop technologies and ships, but it would not be until the colonization of the Worth System would the UNSC funding and strenght would reach pre-war levels. Just like in the past, recruits volunteered to become ODSTs and were subjected to the same rigorous phyiscal and mental training which weeded out those who were less than suited for the program. Only the best were selected to become ODSTs.

When the UNSC began to operate within the Andromeda Galaxy, ODSTs saw little deployment in the early years. Only seeing actual combat during the short lived Zygerrian conflict, where they were used as advance forced to the UNSC invasion of the would be Slave Empire's home world. During the Terran-Republic war ODSTs were deployed once again, only this time to extract numerous Jedi who were trapped deep within enemy territory. Something which had a great effect to the Jedi Order at large, as the idea of litterally hundreds of soldiers basically being ejected from ships in orbit and directly into battle, both shocked and fascinated the now exiled Order.

It was not long before some on the Jedi Council saw the benefits of using such tactics for themselves and with the UNSC allowing the Jedi to train along side them, it was not long before some Jedi decided to join the ranks of these elites.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**{ Orbital Drop Ahsoka... } **_

_**Date: **__November 22__nd__, 2611_

_**Location: **__Camp Omaha, Mesa Colony_

"_Just how did I get myself into this?" _Ahsoka thought to herself, as the young Togruta stood with a number of others young and watched several would be recruits being removed from their respective simulators. She, along with those who were with her at the time, were apart of the Jedi contingent who had volunteered to train along side other UNSC recruits to become Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. Or at the very least, become familiar with the ODSTs primary form of trasportation, the _Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle. _

Upon learning about the nature of the Terran's ODSTs and their "SOEIVs" some on the Jedi Council thought that these highly unorthodox, yet inovative insertion tactics could be used to deliver Jedi onto Imperial planets quickly without being detected. But before any of this could happen, the Jedi would have to undergo the same training regments with the Terrans used to train potential ODSTs. The first few weeks of training were rather easy, as physical training was not an alien concept for the young Jedi.

The real surprise came when Ahsoka and the others discovered that a large chunk of their ODST training regiment also involved a lot of studying. An ODST had to have intimate knowledge of their SOEIV pods and needed to know every single system was and how they work, as this was litterally vital to their survival in case anything were to go wrong during an mission. The last few months were not easy and Ahsoka had to admit, ODST training was far more taxing than anything she went through as a young Padowan and now, she and the rest of the Jedi were about to move on the next phase of their training. The Simulation Chaimbers.

The chaimbers in question, were designed with the idea of simulating just what an individual would fully experience in an actual orbital drop. At first the Togruta was rather confident that her time in the simulator would be easy, she was an experienced star fighter pilot after all and had been in combat. But after seeing just how the first batch of recruits fared , Ahsoka began to have her doubts. Especially when she saw one Marine fall to his knees and proceed to enjoy his breakfast for the second time that day.

"Well, looks like someone has learned the value of not having a heavy meal before a drop." the sargent incharge of the group responded, "As you can see, this is the cloest you can get to feeling what's it like during an actual drop, without actually doing one from orbit. But I can also tell you that this is nothing compared to the actual thing. These are here to give you a taste of what it means to be an ODST, as well as simulate everything which can go wrong from unexpected ground fire to systems failure. But for now, we're just gonna take it easy and simulate a standard drop. Think you're up to it?"

"SIR, YES SIR!" the assembled Jedi replied, before they began to take their positions in the chaimbers, which on the inside looked very much like the real thing. Ahsoka quickly sat in the padded seat and strapped her self in, just as the chaimber door closed and a holographic display appeared showing the "pod's" systems.

"Just remember, this is just to give you a feel of just what you should expect if this were an actual drop." the Sargent's voice came over the speakers. "So keep in mind this will the the last easy sim you will get, if you still choose to become ODSTs after this, then you will be doing more complex simulations afterwards. Are all pods ready?"

"Yes sir!" Ahsoka replied, just as she could feel her seat begin to vibrate and before the Jedi knew what was going on, the simulation had begun and she could feel as if her pod had been shot out of the belly of a star ship.

The Togruta's heart began to race, as this was a sensation in which she had never felt before. Ahsoka was no stranger to such velocites, but unlike her Delta-7B Interceptor, Ahsoka had little to no control over this craft. Not to mention that unlike her old fighter, these drop pod were not as refinded. Meaning that she could feel every bump and shudder.

Trying to remember what she had been told in orientation, Ahsoka managed to control her breathing and focus on the display screen before her. With this screen, the Jedi could see her altitude and velocity, as well as the simulated course her pod was taking and just as the altimeter reached _3000 meters_, Ahsoka felt a sudden jolt. Signaling that the drag pannels had been deployed and had begun to slow the pod down. Not to long after this, Ahsoka felt a much more powerful jolt which shook her to the very core, as her display screen stated that the pod's breaking rockets had been engaged to slow it down even further. It was something the Jedi had not expected to be so violent, as the shock struck her like a fist to her gut, while some one else had hit her over the head with a thick metal beam.

But thankfully the simulation came to an end and the chaimber's doors repoened, revealing the figure of a Terran marine who was ready to help her out of her seat. With her body still shaking from the experience, Ahsoka managed to unstrap herself and awkwardly exit the chaimber. Only to shove the helpful marine out of the way and proceed to empty the contents of her stomach onto the floor with most of the other Jedi in training either doing the same or trying to keep their food down.

"Well I hope you lot enjoyed it!" the Sargent stated out loud as he watched the Jedi stumble to their feet, "Because come tomorrow you will be doing it all over again, only this time you will doing it in a combat situation. But until then, get back to you're quarters and rest up. Because today will be your last easy day, now the real fun starts!"

"_Oh boy..." _Ahsoka groaned inwardly, as she and the rest of her group made their way back to their barracks. All the while dreading as to what the next few weeks had in store for her.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

Over the next couple of months, the recruits began to spend more and more time in the simulation chaimbers. As they began to learn how to not only operate the drop pods, but what to do in the event that a drop went wrong. One of the more unique training sessions they did involved an actual SOEIV pod and an lake which was located on the base that personnel lovingly called _"The Missishitty Basin" _because it's waters were rather muddy and gave off an unpleasant stench at times.

It was in this lake, the SOEIV would be dropped into with the aid of an Pelican and the pod's occupants would have to attempt to not only escape the sinking vehicle, but swim to shore in full body armor. Not an easy thing to do seeing that the ODST Armor weighed almost one hundred pounds. Another thing Ahsoka had to learn was how to maintain and operate the _M6 Personal Defense Weapon System_, or "Magnum". Even though the young Togruta was well versed with the traditional Light Saber, Ahsoka had thought that it would have been a good idea to have the Magnum as a secondary weapon in case the situation called for it.

It was a choice which had caused some grumbles from some of the older Jedi, but they had to agree that the reasoning for decision was sound and eventually relented. For weeks the constant cycle of training went on and although some days were harsher than others, Ahsoka could not help but to feel that things were easier than they were when she first arrived at Camp Omaha. Unfortunately not everyone had felt the same way and a number of recruits had transferred back to their respective units, even some of the Jedi which had entered with Ahsoka in the beginning, had also opted to leave the program.

But eventually the time came for the remaining Jedi recruits to move on to their final phase of training. Up until this point they had been using simulation chaimbers and the lake on the base, but now they would be doing a actual drop from Mesa's orbit. After the drop was completed, the recruits would have to make their way forty miles by foot to a predetermined location in under three hours. If they were able to do so, then they would become full fledged ODSTs. But before this were to take place, the recruits would have three days to rest up and prepare mentally for what was to come.

"In other words, you have shore leavfor 2 days and one day on the base to prepare for the actual drop." the sargent in charge explained, as he addressed the assembled group. "You are to report back to base at 1200 hours the day before your final test, where you will suit up and be transported to the _Pathfinder_ in orbit to concuct your final test. Until then, DISMISSED!"

"Yes sir!" the assembled group replied, before heading off to their barracks and got ready to leave the base.

"Hey Ahsoka, what you have planned for those two days?" a Marine recruit by the name of Jonas asked the Togruta. Ahsoka smilled at the young man, as she had become friends with the Marine during their training.

"Nothing really." Ahsoka replied, as the group entered the barracks. "Think I will just spend a couple days in a hotel and sight see around Terra Port."

"You sure you won't be spending your time in that hotel room with your boy, Rory?" Joans joked, an evil grin formin on his face, as the Jedi suddenly lost her balance and almost fell over. Rory, was an young Terran male which Ahsoka had begun a somewhat romantic relationship with a few months after the Jedi Evacuation. Before such a relationship would have been impossible, as it was forbidden for Jedi to have one. But with her former Master coming out with his relationship with Padme, and another admiting she had bared a child with a Clone Trooper, the powers that be had decided that it was every Jedi's right to be happy. Even if that happiness came from being with someone.

And for Ahsoka, her happiness came from Rory.

"Wait... what?!" the Jedi exclaimed, as she could feel her cheeks begin to heat up.

"Oh nothing..." Jonas replied, as the group approached the barracks. "It just that the other night I overheard you talking to him and there was talk of you two meating up at a hotel for... Quality Time."

"Anyone ever tell you that it is not polite to ease drop on other people conversations?" Ahsoka scolded her friend.

"Well maybe next time you should make sure no one is around when you talk to your boyfriend." the marine replied with an evil grin, before he dissapeared into his quarters. Leaving Ahsoka to mentally kick herself for allowing someone ease drop on her call. Though Ahsoka had to surrender herself to the idea that spending two days in a hotel room with Rory would not have been a bad thing.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

There was a lot that could be said about the city of Crossroads on Mesa. The city itself was no where near as grand as New Plymouth or any of the other major Terran cities in the Worth System, but Crossroads still had its own rustic charm. The city was largely a agricultural hub, as it was located litterally in what was the farming belt of the planet. This meant that the city did not have the mile high skyscrapers which were found in New Plymouth or Mesa's capital city, Port Lebanon. But Crossroads did not need such structures, as most of the businesses catered towards the numerous farms and mines which were located in the surrounding area. Hense most of the buildings only reached a maximum of twelve to fifteen stories in height, with the tallest structure actually being the train station near the edge of the city with its administration building and clock tower

That was one thing which made Crossroads stand out in the region, as it was litterally the weigh station for a lot of what was farmed and mined. Goods would come in from the surrounding towns via the three highways which entered the city, where they would be stored and later loaded onto the maglev train which connected the other major cities of Sanna and Debe, to Port Lebanon and the Roddenberry Teather Station. On any given day, the streets would be packed with trucks and tractors hauling produce to the train station, while the pavements were lined with vendors trying sell produce of their own, or meals which were made on the spot and today was no diffirent.

Ahsoka had not too long arrived in the city and already her senses were bombarded by the sights and sounds of what the city had to offer. The bus which had delivered her, as well as the other recruits had dropped them off at the city's CDF Constabulary office and would return to pick them back up in two days time. Not to long after this the Recruits went their seperate ways and while some would be continuing on to Lebanon, a few others like Ahsoka had decided to spend their time in the city.

Ahsoka herself had managed to get a room at an local hotel near the city center, with a queen sized bed. A major upgrade from bunk beds she had to indure back in the camp and she intended to enjoy it as much as she could while she was there. But before she would, Ahsoka decided that she wanted to explore this Terran city and see what it had to offer. Crossroads was nothng like New Plymouth but that did not mean it could not have been any less interesting. After getting herself settled, Ahsoka left her room and ready for her first day in the agricultural city.

Noon had just rolled in, as the Jedi found herself walking along what was the main avenue of the city. As usual the air was thick with the sounds truck and tractor engines, as they rumbled along the street towards the train station with their cargo of farm produce, while more vehicles were making theirselves away from the station with items such as farming equipment and fertilizer. The stalls which had been set up for the vendors by the city were now largely vacant as most of their tennants had gone home for the day, while some were still there getting ready for the lunchtime rush.

It was from one of these remainding vendors Ahsoka got her first meal of the day in the form of curried chickpeas wrapped in flat fried bread. Apparently the locals called it "Doubles" and it was a very popular street food in the city. After finishing up her meal, the Togruta soon found herself wondering around the city and taking in what sights it had to offer. But it was during her exploration of the city, when Ahsoka noticed a large number of Togruta's which milled around the city streets.

As she would later find out, the presence of so many Togruta in Crossroads was in direct result of the Terrans actions against the Zygerrain Slave Empire. After the short lived conflict, hundreds of thousands of newly freed slaves setteled in the Worth Colonies and while the majority were Twi'lek, there were still a large number Togruta's among them. Many of them settling on either Mesa or Bounty to work on the many farms on the reseptive planets. Much like how the Jedi are now refugees themselves, but unlike the former slaves, the Order really didn't have anywhere else to go. It was a harsh reminder of what the Jedi as a whole had lost and what they hoped to regain one day.

Eventually the sun began to go down and Ahsoka decided that she would spend the rest of the evening in her hotel. After having a simple dinner at the hotel's in house Diner, Ahsoka went up to her room and proceeded to take a rather long shower, before returning to the living area dressed in nothing but a white, comfortable robe and matching fuzzy slippers.

Sitting in front of the room's holo-projectors, Ahsoka typed in the contact information and after a few seconds, the image of a young man with Asian features appeared before the young woman. The Togruta smiled as the teen's face lit up and said "Ahsoka!"

"Hello, Rory." the Jedi replied happily, as she began to speak with her boyfriend. "How are you?"

"How am I? How are you?" the young man asked. "You're finally on leave?"

"Yes, for two whole days."the Jedi replied. "We have our first jump at the end of the week."

"Really?" Rory asked, "Excited much?"

"Excited as I can be." Ahsoka replied, "How's life on your end?"

"Would be a lot better if you were here." the teen said with a sly grin, "But nothing really out of the ordinary, the store did get a big order from the Jedi temple for some carnations and orchids."

"Looks like skyguy is still decorating the place." Ahsoka chuckled, as she could picture a very frazzled looking Anikin trying his best to organize the new facility with both the elder Jedi giving him their suggestions. "But at least he listened to me when I suggested your family's store for flowers."

"Yea, my dad thanks you for the sale." Rory replied, before he asked. "So when do you think you will be back in Plymouth?"

"In two weeks, after the graduation ceremony I should be back by next month." Ahsoka answered. "I just wish you could be here for that."

"Me too." Rory replied. "But only family members are allowed on base for that and all we are is Boyfried and Girlfriend."

"Yea I know." Ahsoka said sadly. "But that's how it is I guess."

"Don't worry, we you get back I we can make up for that." Rory comforted her. "I have a friend who said he would lease us a private lake hut in Saigon."

"Or really?" the Togruta asked with a knowing look on her face. "And just what do you have planned once we are in that hut?"

"You are just gonna find out when we go."the young man replied. "Well I got yo go, its getting late on my end. Talk later?"

"Yea, love you." Ahsoka said with a smile.

"Love you too, bye bye." her boyfriend replied, before his image dissapeared. Leaving Ahsoka alone in her room.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_( U.N.S.C. Maasai, 300 miles above Mesa ) _

"Alright, listen up! Just remember your training and you will survived or at the very least, become two inches shorter." the voice of their group commander crackled through Ahsoka's head set, as she and the rest of the Jedi sat in their drop pods and got ready for what would be the wildest ride of their lives. They were now on board a Terran Destroyer in orbit and were about to conduct their first real drop from a ship . "Failue to do so, will result an a smoking wet stain on the plant's surface, and that is if you are lucky enough to survive the atmosphere."

That last part did not fill the Jedi with any confidence. Soon the final count down had begun and Ahsoka got ready for the inevitable shock and jolt which came from the pod accelerating out of the destroyer. An experience which she was told, could not even be replicated by simulator.

Suddenly their was a jolt as the pod began to accelerate before it exited the Maasai and shot into the upper atmosphere of Mesa, the exercise had begun and just like she was told, the actual launch was much rougher than what the Simulators let on. Her pod was joined by two dozen more which had been launched by the Maasai, each one carrying one of her fellow Jedi towards their objective. Inside her pod Ahsoka began to digest the information which the on board computer was giving her, her processing what she remembered from training and applying what she new to keep her pod under control.

Soon her pod began to enter the upper atmosphere of Mesa and the ride became even rougher, as the SOEIV began to react to the friction of said atmosphere against it's exterior.

70,000...

60,000...

50,000 feet...

Lower and lower Ahsoka's pod fell, the darkness of space being replaced with a pale blue which was the Mesa sky. By this point the pod's stabilizers had deployed and had begun to slow it decent, as well as allowing Ahsoka some control over her craft. But at that speed any sudden sharp movments at such high speeds could prove to be disasterous, as a result Ahsoka had to becareful so as to not kill herself while navigating.

30,000...

20,000...

Almost there

10,000...

5,000...

_'Any time now...' _She thought to herself... as the altimeter neared its mark.

1,500...

500...

Then just like clock work, the SOEIV's rocket ignited, giving Ahsoka a sensation that of someone had suddenly hit her pod with a droid fighter... HARD! But somehow despite the violent shaking, the pod held together and with another jolt and a chime, the SOEIV had finally touched down. With a heavy breath, Ahsoka blew opened the hatch via the built in explosive charges and in one swift movement, had exited her pod with lightsaber in hand and began to scan her surroundings. Her pod had come down in what looked like a expansive grassy field, the sky above was bright blue coupled with swathes of white clouds following the direction of where the other pods had fallen to the planet's surface.

In the distance the Togruta could see the outlines of several mountan ranges, as well as the faint image of the Archer Teather Station. Using the data pad which was apart of her equipment, Ahsoka determined that she had landed forty miles away from her final objective. She would have to make her way on foot to the UNSC encampment on the banks of the Malic River, which was exactly forty miles due west of her current position. If she were lucky, Ahsoka thought, she would be able to complete the trek within 2-3 days.

Considering what she had just gone through, it should be an easier than piloting a small pod through a planet's atmosphere at high speed. Gathering up her supplies from the pod for the two day trip, Ahsoka secured both of her Lightsabers and side arm to her suit's waist, setting off to her final objective...

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**A/N: End of Part One. **_

_Turns out this chapter was just too big to get out in one go, so I decided to break it up into parts. Hopefully I will be able to get it out because I really dont like leaving things unresolved. Anyway please leave a review and tell me what you think. _

_The next chapter will be about Ahsoka's hike to Malic River and the UNSC encampment, so which me luck and until next time, NIGHTSTALKER OUT! _


	14. Orbital Drop Ahsoka Pt2

_**A/N: **Sorry for the long hiatus, but here is pt. 2 of Orbital Drop Ahsoka. As we all know life can be a mean b*tch and I am no diffirent, as my job keeps me busy and usually worn out by the time I reach home. _

_This chapter was not easy to complete, but for better or worse, here it is and I hope you like it._

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**{ Orbital Drop Ahsoka Pt. 2} **_

The Worth Sun had not too long begun to dip behind the distant western mountains, as a lone figure made her way across an expansive grassy plain. Every so often the distant echo of an descending space craft flying high over head would fill her ears, as the cool air singnaled the eventual arrival of night. Her body starting to feel the strain of lugging her ODST armor for the last seven or so miles and she had many more to go before the young Jedi reached her final objective. Bringing to an end weeks of intense trainning and becoming one of the first Jedi to be certified as an _Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. _

Normally the Togruta would have been able to cover the distance required with ease, but with almost eighty pounds composite armor covering her body, every step she took was a struggle in its own right. Nor did it help that the grassy plain she was currently traversing hid an uneven surface beneath the knee high grass, making it easy for someone to lose their footing or misjudge their step on the uneaven surface. But fortunately the Jedi's troubles would soon come to an end as she was now approaching a wooded area . Using her binocculars to scan the tree line, Ahsoka was able to see that it gave way to more traversable terrain.

It did not take long for her to reach the tree line and as her pervious scans had reported, the ground was much flatter that want was hidden under the grassy field, but the forest floor was rather muddy. But at least she could actually see where she was going. As night continued to fall, the forest arround her began to come alive with the sound of insects and other wild life. Something which placed the normally spunky Jedi on edge.

Mesa was a Terra Formed world and as a result, numerous animals which were native to the Terran home worlds had be relocated to this planet. This was done to preserve numerous speices which had been pushed to the brink of extinction and it was a program which saw great success. But what really had Ahsoka uneasy, was knowing that among the creatures which had be brought over, were large predatory animals who hunted at night. One such creature the Jedi had been warned about was what the Terrans called a Mountain Lion, which were commonly found in that region of the planet. Though encounters between these creatures and humans were rare, it was still known to happen and sometimes with deadly results.

Yes she had on ODST armor, but she lacked an helmet and the fact there was a creature out there in the darkness which could strike at any moment, made Ahsoka feel unnaturally uneasy. By now the sun was completely gone as the ODST in training soon came upon a stream which ran down a small hill and deeper into the forest. After a long day of walking in armor which felt like it weighed more that she did, Ahsoka decided now would be a good time to rest and get her bearings. Although she wore full body armor Ahsoka did not have a helmet, as at present there were no helmets which was suited to her physical features. Though she had been scanned for one, it would still take some time to make one for the Togruta.

Honestly Ahsoka could care less if she had one or not, hense the reason she still made the jump from orbit. Though she did have to wear a makeshift one just to protect her during the descent. Resting heself on a somewhat large boulder, Ahsoka took out her ration kit and began to munch down on one of the "protein bars" which had been packed for her. It may not have tasted good, nor did it really smell all at appetizing, but it would give her energy for the rest of her journey. Or at least, that was what she was told during training anyway. As she sat there and watched the night sky through the forest canopy, Ahsoka's mind began to wonder and think about her current situation in life.

If one were to tell her two years ago that she would be living in exile among a race who were devoid of the force, the Jedi would not have believed them. But this was the situation both her and all the surviving Jedi were facing and been facing for almost a year. At least she and most of her friends were able to escape the Republc capitol with the Terrans on their flagship, but she also knew that many were not as lucky as she was . Starting a new lfie from scratch was not an easy task for anyone and the Jedi were no exception, at least the UNSC were making an attempt give counselling to those who were most affected by these events. Ahsoka being one of them.

They may have lost a lot in the last year or so, but in a strange way the Jedi gained a lot more and in Ahsoka's case, she gained Rory. She first met him while on a group trip in New Plymouth and although it was not exactly love at first sight, _(Ahsoka almost scratched off his face) _they did become friends. One day Rory asked her out on a date, to which she agreed and the rest they say was history. They had been together for a few months now now and Ahsoka could not be any happier.

As a matter a fact, Ahsoka was just one of a number of Jedi who had begun open relationships since the surviving council began to relax some of the Jedi practices. Her former master and his wife, Padme had not too long ago welcomed a pair of twins into their lives and recently it was discovered Jedi Master Aayla Secura had begun a relationship with a Terran male. Maybe one day she and Rory may have a family their own, but it was still to early to speculate. Nothing last forever, this was a fact Ahsoka and the Jedi at large knew all too well.

After a few minutes of rest, Ahsoka took the time to refill her small water bottle before making her way deeper into the forest and toward her objective. The Togruta knew that her final test would be a difficult one, but she did not know just how much it would be. Litterally dropping from orbit in a small pod only to hike 40 miles? Just how were anyone able to do such a task and still go on to do this for a living?

Obviously the Terrans did and have been doing this type for warfare for centuries. One of her friend's husband had been an ODST before joining the Spartan Corp, though he didnt really talk about his military life when he wasn't in uniform. Come to think of it if Chuchi had not told her who Daniel was, Ahsoka would have never guesssed that he was with the UNSC, let alone one of their elites.

Before entering training, Ahsoka spoke to Daniel about ODSTs and hoped to get least some insight into the mind of someone who had actually been one.

"Actually you have to be a little bit crazy to be an ODST." Ahsoka remembered Daniel telling her, as the Togrutan thought back to when she spoke to the former ODST one week before she left for Mesa. "A sane prson can't be an ODST."

"How come?" Ahsoka asked him.

"Because a sane person would never think of doing what an ODST does." the super soldier replied, "A sane person would never think of litterally crashing on to a planet in a small pod, only to crack it open with the intent of raining hell on another lifeform. But a crazy person would see all that and still want to do it, thinking it would be good fun."

"And is it good fun, as you say?" the Togruta asked the super soldier, surpried that he was being so casual about it. Then again he had been doing it for years, so there was that.

"After you get get over the fact you are in an enclosed space falling towards a planet at high speeds, its not all that bad." That conversation was months ago and Ahsoka was still not sure if her Terran friend was being serious, or having fun at her expense.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

Hours passed and the weather had begun to change. The clear night sky had now given way clouds which blotted out the moon light, as the winds which carried them blew through the forest canopy and caused the leaves on their branches to protest. It was not long before the distant sounds of ships flying over head were replaced with the ominous rumble of thunder, a storm was coming and at this time of year on Mesa, they would usually tend to be violent. This was a fact Ahsoka knew very well, as she had experienced a couple such storms while in training. The only diffirence this time, was that the Jedi did not have the luxury of waiting it out in a Barracks.

Scanning the area once again with her binocculars, Ahsoka was able to locate a somewhat large cave in the side of a hill. It may not have been as sound as the UNSC facility, but at least it would keep her out of the rain, which was now starting to fall. Within minutes the rain was pouring down as the night sky was occasionally lit up with flashes of lighting. The entrance to the cave had now been turned into a waterfall, as the rain water washed down the hill side. All the while Ahsoka had started a small fire inside, not to keep warm as her armor protected her from the cold, but rather to provide illumination and ward off any unwelcomed guests.

As time passed the rain was not showing any signs of letting up and the wind blew harder. With no other options the Jedi prepared herself for what could be a long night. It was at this point Ahsoka took out her coms device and at least try to listen in to what ever communication traffic there was. Normally such a device could have been used to communicate with other team members, but the one she had been modified to only receive transmissions. This was a test after all and one of the goals was to see just how well a recruit could do on their own. There was a button which could be used to send a signal to command, but that was to be used in emergencies only. Activation under any other circumstances would mean an automatic disqualification from training.

Setting the device up Ahsoka switched it on and attempted to tune in on any military traffic, but the cave's geology made it difficult. After a few minutes the Togruta decided to at least see if she could get any civilian traffic instead, maybe she could get something to listen to while she waited out the storm. But just like with the military channels, the Jedi was unable to get any signals. All the Togruta could do at the moment was hunker down and wait for the storm to pass, which from the look of things, would nor be anytime soon. __

Eventually pounding rain the storm had finally passed and Ahsoka emerged from her makeshift shelter. The sky was still heavily overcast and the overnight rain had changed the forest land scape in to what could be best described as a swamp. The soil was muddy and gave off an earthy sent, as a number of trees and branches had fallen over during the night. Ahsoka herself had bearly gotten any sleep, only managing at least 3 hours at best as her armor made it difficult for her to rest comfortably.

Visualy scanning her surroundings, the Jedi took a mental note of her new rain drenched surroundings. This new terrain was going to make things even more difficult than when she was in the grassy field just yesterday. Normally it would not be a problem but with composite armor on her body, armor she was still not accustomed to, it would not be easy to navigate such a muddy area. But according to her digital maps she was just 15 miles away from her cobjective, but it might as well have been 1500 miles in this muddy mess. Once again Ahsoka attempted to see if she could pick up any transmissions with her com system, but once again she was only met with static. _'Must have been busted during the drop...'_ Ahsoka though, as she placed the device back in its holder and began to venture back through the forrest.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

Mud, mud, and more MUD, this had been Ahsoka's reality for the last couple hours. The storm had really done a number to the forest, as the heavy winds had brought down numerous trees and branches. Creating a dangerous maze for the Jedi to navigate, yet it was at this point in her mission that Ahsoka began to call upon her trainning as a Jedi to help her at least clear some of the debris out of her way, using her powers to clear herself a path. But it was still slow going as as she continued to press on..

But soon her slow advance came to a complete stop, as the Jedi soon came across her biggest obsticle yet. The Lemming River.

In normal conditions the Lemming was a rather shallow yet rocky river which flowed through the northern continent, before it joined up with the much larger Stevenville river. Normally, the Lemming only had a depth of five feet and although it had a strong current, the river was relatively easy to cross thanks to the many sand bars which existed. But due to the recent rains, the Lemming had been transformed into a raging torrent filled with silt and other debris which made it deadly for anyone who were unfortunate enough to fall into it. There were bridges which crossed the Lemming, over two dozen in fact. But none of them were anywhere near Ahsoka's location and she still needed to cross it if the Jedi were to complete her training.

Some ODST units would be equipped with small "rocket packs", which allowed them to cross such obsticles, but such technology was only reserved for certain ODST untis. Meaning Ahsoka would have to cross the Lemming the hard way. Using her binocculars once again, the Jedi/ODST scanned river so as to locate a safe spot for her to attempt a crossing. It was by doing this the Togruta noticed that there were a number of trees which over hung the Lemming and some of them even connected with other trees which were on the other side. It was at that point Ahsoka got the idea, maybe she could use these large trees to her advantage.

It was also at this point Ahsoka decided to implement her skills and years of experience as a Jedi to help her in this task. Coming up to one of the massive timbers, Ahsoka leapt upwards and managed to land on one of the branches. The ODST in trainning was now using _Force Power, _an ability which was used by those who were Force-sensitive to enhance their reflexes or even their body strenght, among other things. Right now Ahsoka was using this ability to climb up a massive Red Wood tree and over the river, but she was only half was done as she still needed to cross over to the other side. Although the tree she was on did hang over the Lemming, it did not cross it completely. But at least it closed the gap which the Jedi would have to cross. But there was now a complication.

At first Ahsoka thought she could use the tree line to her advantage, but soon she realized that the branch closest to her on the opposite bank would not be able to hold her weight. But as far as she knew, this was the only spot in her immediate area where she could even attempt a crossing and she wanted to get to her objective as fast as possible. There was only one option left.

Taking a moment to clear her head and calm her mind, Ahsoka closed her eyes and began to control her breathing. The roaring sound of the Lemming below filled her ears, as the Jedi began to focus on reaching the opposite side of the river. Soon the sound of river slowly began fade away, as Ahsoka opened her eyes and in that moment, the other side of the river did not seem so far away. It was as if it were no more than 5 feet and not 500, what ever doubt the Jedi had in herself was gone.

Then, Ahsoka suddenly exploded with a burst of speed and with little to no effort, the Togruta soon found her above the natural barrier. In that moment, time seemed to slow down as the Jedi flew through the air. It was as if Ahsoka and the air around her had become one, she could not even feel the weight of her body armor or anything for that matter. She could not tell just how long this sensation lasted, but it was only when her feet landded on the loose pebbles of the river bank, did Ahsoka realize that her leap of faith and paid off. As the Togruta soon found herself on the other side of the Lemming. She had done it and crossed, but she did not have the luxury of congratulating herself. Ahsoka knew she still had to make it to the checkpoint. So with a heavy sigh, Ahsoka made her way into the woods and away from what she hoped would be her final obsticle.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

It had been a rough day both physically and mentally, but finally Ahsoka was just meters away from completing her objective. Months of brutal trainning and conditioning had lead her to this moment, all that stood before her now was a gentle grassy incline which lead up a hill. But just what waited for her, the Jedi did not know. Maybe it was a beacon which she must activate to signal or a mock ambush which had been set up by other seasoned ODST. Ahsoka remembered Daniel telling her about when he completed his training, they had set up a mock fire fight near the end of his hike through the wilderness. Mayber she would be met with the same and it did not help that Terrans were devoid of the force. Meaning that if there were such an ambush waiting for her, the Jedi would not be able to sense it.

But what she saw next, completely took the Jedi by surprise. For as Ahsoka crested the hill, she saw a Pelican drop ship which sat in the middle of a field. The engines were off and the ramp at the back of the aircraft was down, while two ODSTs in full armor stood there with weapons in hand. If this was an ambush, then it was not a very good one. But as she walked up to the Pelican one of the ODSTs boomed out... "Master Ahsoka Tano?"

Ahsoka for her part was taken a bit by surprise by this, but replied "Yes?"

"It is my duty to inform you that you have completed your training, you are the fourth individual to complete the cross country endurance test with a time of thirty-six hours and twenty-eight minutes. Five hours behind the leader." the ODST stated, causing the Jedi's mood to sink.

"However, you have completed the course within the the expected time stipulation which was set. Meaning that you have officially completed your ODST training, so as a result it is my duty to inform you that as of today, you are now a member of the Orbital Drop Shock Trooper corp. Congratulations!"

Ahsoka could not believe what she had heard, after so many weeks of sweat, tears and in some cases even blood, she had become an ODST. The Jedi realized that she had managed to do something that many others were unable to do, she had done things she had never thought she could do and had pushed herself like never before. Now than just being a Jedi, Ahsoks had become an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper or at the very least, qualified as one. "Wait, what about the rest of the group? There were about 20 of us?" Ahsoka suddenly asked, as her mind began to wonder about the other Jedi who had made the drop with here.

"I am afraid not all of them were able to complete the course." the Trooper replied, "Many of them had to be rescured due to the storm last night. Apparently they thought they could make up more ground if they traveled through the night, but got caught in the storm and had to be rescued."

"Are.. they alright?" the Jedi asked fearfully, worried that some oof them may have been hurt.

"There were a couple that suffered from exposure and hypothermia, but they will be alright." the Trooper explained. "Then again that storm last night was one of the more violent ones we have had. I suggest that you get on board the ship and rest up, there's a long flight ahead once we leave."

"Understood, thank you." Ahsoka replied, before making her way towards the drop ship.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_(New Plymouth, three days later...)_

The party had largely died down by this point, as Ahsoka sat alone by the bar and sipped down her drink. Just the day before the Togruta, along with the four other Jedi had attended their graduation ceremony at Omaha but the real celebration did not take place until Ahsoka and her frineds returned to Worth. Where a local taven had been rented for the night to celebrate their accomplishment and conidering just how stressful the course had been, this party was what the doctor ordered.

As the Jedi sat and enjoyed what was left of her drink, she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist as a warm mass suddenly snuggled up behind her. The young woman squealed in surprised, as a pair of lips came in and kissed her on her cheak. "Hey..."

"Hey..." Ahsoka replied, as she turned around to face her boyfriend. "You're late."

"Sorry, but I had to help my dad with some inventory at the shop and it took longer than we thought." Rory replied, as he continued to hug her.

"Well... make sure it dosen't happen again." the Togruta said with a smile, just as Rory took a seat next to her.

"So you're officially an ODST?" The young man asked his girlfriend, just as the bar keep brought him a drink.

"I guess in a way, I am." Ahsoka replied. "Still just an Jedi, but now one who could be shot out of an starship and into a planet's atmosphere."

"So... what was it like?" Rory asked. "You know, having to do that?"

"Honestly, I really dont know just how you Terrans could do something like that." Ahsoka replied, "But apparently it's been working since you still have them."

"Well I could never see my self being a Trooper." the young florist replied. "So I heard from some of your friends that the Jedi council has given you and the others two weeks off?"

"Yes, why?" the Togruta asked.

"Because... I was able to get us a reservation at the Blue Lake villas in New Saigon." Rory replied, as he slowly presented a pamphlet of the lake side resort.

"Oh really? And what do you have planned for us if I decide to go with you?" Ahsoka asked her boyfriend with a reather coy expression forming on her face. Rory for his part just planted a soft kiss on his girlfriend before he replied, "and more. The train leaves in the morning."

"Well then... I see no reason we should wait until the villas." Ahsoka replied in an almost seductive tone, as both herself and he boyfriend got up from the bar and exited the establishment. There destination being that of Rory's appartment, where they would have their own private celebration.

_**[ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] **_

_**A/N: **__Well what you think? Anyway I have had a few people drop me ideas for future installments and I have to admit, some of them are really good, so there is something to look out for. Also, I do have an Idea for another HALO crossover with one of my favorite animes, Sailor Moon. _

_That's right, I plan to do a Sailor Moon/Halo fic in the future. But I have to work out some details plus finish up StarGate: Guardians, before I move onto that one. My question to you though, is that will you read it? In any case, be sure to leave a review and if you have time, check out where you can learn a thing or two about military history, equipment and events. I have done a few articles for that site and its worth checking out. _

_Until next time, Nightstalker out!_


End file.
